Memories in my Heart
by JTTran
Summary: Beast Boy and Raven's relationship has blossomed ever since they found their feelings for each other. Things change, however, as Beast Boy tragically dies in a car accident, leaving behind a heartbroken Raven. But by a twist of fate, Raven runs into a man many years later who bears a mysterious resemblance to Beast Boy. He is just a random stranger? Or is he somehow Beast Boy?
1. From the Beginning Until Now x Earth

**Disclaimer: I claim to own none of the original Teen Titans characters. However, all original characters were invented by me. Any similarities to other FanFiction original characters or stories are purely coincidental.**

**Note: This is the sequel to my first FanFiction, _Secrets in my Heart_. While it does not necessarily have to be read, as a short summary exists below, I would recommend that you read it first to fully understand the entire story.**

* * *

**Part I**

– **Prologue –**

_Beast Boy and Raven, though best friends, often get into many fights. On one occasion, the two were fighting about Terra. They later reconcile and discover that they have hidden feelings for each other, though each keeps it a secret from the other. Later, Beast Boy brings Raven to the music store, where he shows her his favorite song, a melancholic love song called "Lovers' Tears". In a spur of the moment, he asks Raven to be his girlfriend, which she tearfully rejects, saying that she has a secret that would prevent them from being any more than friends. Not fully understanding what she was saying, Beast Boy decided to forget the entire incident._

_A week passes and Beast Boy forgets about his feelings for Raven. In the middle of the night, Raven conjures a portal in her room and teleports to Azarath, accidentally transporting Beast Boy with her. Having nowhere else for him to go, Raven brings him to the home of her friend, woman named Seraphina, whom Raven fondly calls "Auntie". After Raven leaves, Seraphina explains to Beast Boy that Azarath is broken into thirteen sectors, each with a representative sorcerer or sorceress. These thirteen "Fathers" and "Ladies" are the most powerful sorcerers in Azarath, and a new Father was being ordained that night. Seraphina's servant, Jane, reveals to Beast Boy that Raven was a Lady. Beast Boy, accompanied by Jane, then travels to the capital of Azarath, Sector 1, and attends the ceremony._

_During the banquet, he sits with Raven and many others and impresses them all by giving a speech on living life to its fullest and taking risks. After the banquet, Raven is escorted away and taken to a private room. Beast Boy follows her and is shocked to see she is getting married to a cold, spiteful professor named Seymour. Interrupting the wedding, Beast Boy is captured and Seymour threatens to kill him and other people who were attending the wedding for unknown reasons. Raven demands that he gives her "the cure," but when she realizes she was tricked, Raven manages to free the people and she and Beast Boy escape to Earth. Inspired by his speech on living life and taking chances, Raven kisses Beast Boy and starts a relationship with him._

_Things complicate their relationship, however, when Raven encounters Terra, who tearfully confesses that she still loves Beast Boy. Guilty over taking Beast Boy away from Terra and tortured by a secret that she has been hiding, Raven breaks up with Beast Boy but suddenly falls into a deep coma. Many weeks pass, with no sign of recovery, but after Beast Boy visits her privately and confesses that he acts like an idiot because he is secretly very insecure, Raven awakens. She follows him towards the beach and sees him reunite with Terra. Not knowing that Raven was watching them, Beast Boy kisses Terra. Seeing this, Raven runs away and loses control, transforming into a monster and calling herself "Paen"._

_While the other Titans fight off the monster, not knowing it was Raven, Beast Boy goes into Raven's room to search for any clues. He somehow contacts a man named Raphael, who was a close friend of Raven's from Azarath. He informs Beast Boy of Raven's secret: all her life, she was inflicted with a curse called Paen. While Paen was kept under her control for many years, it feeds on her negative emotions like anger and sadness and slowly gets stronger._

_Breaking up with Beast Boy caused Paen to get the better of her and had caused her coma. Seeing Beast Boy kiss Terra made Raven completely lose control of Paen and transformed her into a gigantic monster._

_While Beast Boy leaves to inform the other Titans, Raphael goes into the castle in Sector 1 of Azarath to retrieve the Crystal Sword, said to be the only weapon with the magical capabilities to destroy Paen. Though he was intercepted by Seymour, Raphael manages to transport the Crystal Sword to Earth. Beast Boy sings Lovers' Tears to Paen to calm it down and distract it and then stabs it with the Crystal Sword, destroying Paen forever._

_Upon Paen's destruction, Beast Boy and Raven fall into an inter-dimensional realm of non-existence called the Void. Anything that falls into it will eventually fade away and disappear unless someone else in the Void thinks about that person. Another person's thoughts and memories are the way that anyone could survive the Void. While Raven was thinking of Beast Boy, not knowing he was there, Beast Boy failed to think of Raven. Nevertheless, the two manage to exit the Void and go back to Earth._

_Beast Boy leaves the other Titans to go talk to Terra, telling her that he was dating Raven now. Raven listens in on Terra and Beast Boy's conversations, but, not hearing the entire conversation, believes that Beast Boy still loves Terra. Running away, Raven accidentally travels back in time and begins to disappear, as Beast Boy had failed to think about her when they were in the Void. Walking into Titan's Tower, Raven goes into Beast Boy's room in hopes of seeing him one last time before she disappears, but fails. As her body fades away, Raven writes a message to Beast Boy on his desk, telling him that she loves him, and dies. As her body disappears forever, so do everyone's memories of her. Beast Boy and the other Titans no longer remember anything about Raven._

_Many years later, Azarath is on the brink of destruction. Using the powerful Time Travel spell, the few remaining Fathers and Ladies succeed in sending Raphael back in time to the Void when Raven and Beast Boy were in there. Raphael thought of Raven and thus prevented her from disappearing, changing the future. Raven and Beast Boy reunite on Earth and as Beast Boy informs Terra that he has feelings for someone else, he and Raven's future seems bright. However, as indicated by a burning timer magically imprinted on Raphael's hand, there seems to be immense danger ahead._

…

"Beast Boy! Hurry up!" shouted Robin.

"I'm coming! Geez," the green boy sighed. "Come on, Robin. What's the rush?"

"Dude, we're supposed to be at the hotel in ten minutes!" Cyborg returned.

"The girls are already there," an irritated Robin added.

"Alright! Alright!" Beast Boy grumbled as he pulled his luggage out of the airport.

It's been nearly a month since the Paen incident and the Teen Titans were being "rewarded" for their miraculous victory by being invited to teach a seminar for young superheroes for the next three months at New York City. Because there was a shortage of criminal activity in Jump City at the time and because he would jump at the chance to share his crime-fighting knowledge, Robin immediately agreed, forcing the rest of the Titans to follow suit—Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Terra—who had rejoined the Teen Titans upon the insistence of the others, and…

Raven.

Beast Boy couldn't help but smile. It was such a beautiful name. Raven… Raven… He felt like he could say it for hours. Raven… Such a strange name. And yet it was perfect at the same time. Such an odd name. And yet it fit her perfectly. Even more so than 'Rachel Roth'. True, Rachel was beautiful as well, but it didn't quite display the same kind of beauty as the name Raven did. Raven…

Riding the taxi to the Hotel, Beast Boy stared out into the sky. So many things have happened a month ago. From the time he showed Raven his favorite song, "Lover's Tears" to when he asked her out. From the time she took him to Azarath to their first date at the Jackal. Even when he had to fight her as Paen and when he and she escaped the Void. All those things—all those memories—he didn't want to forget. All these memories, he'll cherish forever.

He remembered a conversation they had back then. "Maybe someday I will go back to Azarath. Maybe someday I'll never return to Earth. Maybe someday I'll disappear and never see you again," he remembered Raven saying. "And maybe then, you'll cherish the memories we had together." Beast Boy didn't quite understand what she meant when she said those words back then, but now he did understand. And he does. All his memories of her, he'll cherish forever. They'll never leave him, even if all other memories do.

As the trio of Titans arrived at the hotel, they nearly ran inside. Robin ran inside because he couldn't wait to contact the head of the seminar he was about to teach. Beast Boy ran inside because he couldn't wait to see Raven again. And Cyborg ran inside because—well, the plane ride absorbed all his energy and he absolutely HAD to crash into a nice, warm bed.

Robin hurriedly signed them in and the three boys brushed by the lounge and raced into the elevator. "9th floor… 9th floor…" Robin whispered excitedly as the elevator rose up. "Room 317, 9th floor…"

"Raven… Raven…" Beast Boy said in his head. "Sweet, soft, soothing Raven…"

"Bed… Bed…" Cyborg thought. "Sweet, soft, soothing bed…"

The elevator opened with a _ding_ and three men dashed out as swift as a coursing river. Finding their room, Robin dove onto the hotel-provided laptop and Cyborg dove into the nearest bed. Chuckling, Beast Boy knocked on the door of the girl's room, number 318.

No answer.

Weird… Beast Boy knocked again.

Not the slightest noise came out. "Hello? Anyone in there?" Beast Boy called. "Huh, I guess they're not—"

"_Hmmph!"_ he heard.

He paused. "Raven?" Suspicious, Beast Boy morphed into a fly and flew in through a tiny gap under the floor. It's all right, Beast Boy thought. Everything's gonna be all right. Don't get all scared for nothing, Beast Boy. Another _"Hmmph!"_ convinced him otherwise.

Entering the girls' hotel room and morphing back to human form, Beast Boy felt his heart stop. The room was a mess; everything was decimated and torn up. Pieces of the ceiling and walls were burnt and pieces of wall lay strewn across the room. A struggle had taken place. But where was—

"Starfire!" a horrified Beast Boy shouted, for his friend lay bound to a chair with rope and a piece of tape across her mouth. She looked very beaten up and injured. Carefully untying her and removing the tape without hurting her—a process that was far more difficult than it looked—Beast Boy noticed something was very wrong. "Where's Raven?" he asked in horror.

As tears began to emerge in her eyes, Starfire pointed towards a piece of paper placed on the bedside drawer. Slowly walking towards it and picking it up, Beast Boy read the note with trembling hands. The note read:

"_Raven will die at midnight tonight._

– _The Taboo."_

~Memories in my Heart~


	2. The Taboo x Azarath

Raphael panted in fear and worry as he swiftly climbed up the staircase in the castle in the capital of Azarath. This can't be happening, he thought to himself. It can't be. Here he was, Lieutenant Raphael, the youngest member of the Azarathean Council at age 19, the first job he had been given and it had gone horribly wrong. Maybe it's not as bad as he thought it was. Maybe he was overreacting—no, he was reacting quite perfectly, maybe even underreacting. Oh Azar, this can't be happening. Azar, Azar, Azar!

Raphael reached the 3rd floor of the castle and ran down the hallway, bursting into the Council meeting room, and shouting to the turned heads of the councilmen and councilwomen, "He's gone!"

As some of the people murmured in confusion, Lady Arella stood up and said, "What did you say, Lieutenant Raphael?"

Sighing, he slowly replied, "He's gone. Seymour is gone."

This triggered a series of responses from his audience, some gasps in shock, some bulged eyes, some What?'s, and some standing up in shock's. They all remembered who Seymour was; the rogue professor who was once one of their very own trusted councilmen, who had sought to use the malicious Paen a month before to destroy all worlds.

Raphael continued, "His cell was completely empty. Gone without a trace. Except… for this." With these words, he strode around the long table that the council was situated around towards the far end and pulled out from his pocket a photograph, handing it to Father Don Quixote.

The photograph depicted an Azarathean cell, much more advanced than our own Earthly cells, completely empty and otherwise completely normal except for a graffiti-like picture of a scarlet stylized skull with demonic wings completely covering one wall. As the aging Father stared at the strange symbol, his elderly eyes widened with grim realization and he whispered in horror one word that shook the hearts of all those in that room with the exception of Raphael: "Taboo."

"No!" one Lady cried.

"It can't be!" a man denied.

"Not—not them. Impossible!"

Placing the photograph down on to the table for all to see, Father Don Quixote confirmed, "It is."

"But—but," a certain professor cried in disdain. "But they're dead! Long gone!"

"It can't be! Not the Tab—the Ta—the… Taboo…"

"What? What?" Raphael cried. "What is that? What is 'Taboo'?"

Lady Arella shook her head. "You are far too young to know. The Taboo lives on only in the memories. We didn't want the new generation to know anything of them."

"'Them'? Who is… 'them'?"

"They were… a group of people—"

"They were NOT people!" the same professor interrupted. "They were monsters! Horrid creatures that do not deserve to be called humans!"

"Some were around your age," a Lady said calmly. "Most were older. Extremely few older than the age of thirty."

"The Devil's followers!" the same professor cried.

"They wreaked havoc upon us," a Father continued. "They had such power, such enormous power. They massacred whole towns. A total of twelve towns were completely destroyed by them, one from each of the sectors 2 through 13. They commanded such powerful magic…"

"The Devil's magic!" the professor cried again.

"All feared the black jackets they wore—a trademark of the Taboo. Black jackets with scarlet wing designs on their backs… One shuddered at the mere thought of it."

"The Devil's wings!" the professor cried once more.

"Enough, Professor Yongku!" Father Don Quixote silenced. The professor clenched his lips together and grumbled under his breath. "These _people_ came," Father Don Quixote explained, "calling themselves the Taboo. They seemingly knew only how to destroy. And they destroyed. Whatever intention they had, we knew nothing of. However, they did have some intention, as they were well organized and were very intelligent and resourceful. They are experts on bypassing even the tightest security. It is said that no one could come close enough to hear a single Taboo speak and live. In fact, the only person to have ever spoken to a Taboo and survived was the High Lady Azar." The Father pointed at the ceiling towards the Throne Room many stories upward where the High Lady meditated all day.

"On the final day, many years ago, the Taboo were engaged in combat with Azarath's most powerful army outside this very castle," Father Don Quixote continued. "The High Lady spoke with the leader of the Taboo, a man they call the Conductor, in her throne room. Their conversation remains a secret to this day, but after the man left the throne room, he stood out on the balcony of the castle and raised his hand towards the sky. Immediately, all the members of the Taboo stopped in their fights and looked up towards him. Then they slowly came down on one knee, each and every one of them, and kneeled towards him. Then the Conductor took out a steel blade from his side and impaled himself through the chest. As he fell to the ground, his body burst into shards of black crystal. Our Azarathean soldiers then struck the members of the Taboo with their swords and they, too, burst into shards of black crystal. And thus, the Taboo was destroyed as all of its members transformed into lifeless black crystal."

Raphael stared at the photograph with confused eyes, trying to soak in all the information. His eyes focused on the strange symbol drawn on the wall in the photograph and he said, "But now…"

"…Now they are back," a Father finished. "And they have taken Seymour. On the very day of his planned execution. I doubt it is any coincidence."

"But still. Seymour, in allegiance with the Taboo?"

"It would seem so. How and why is beyond me."

"What about Raven?" Raphael interjected. "Seymour is working with these 'Taboo' people, do you think he would target Raven?"

The councilmen stared at him with worried eyes. They all knew the answer to that. A worried and fearful Lady Arella whispered the name of the one person all were thinking of in that room that moment: "Raven…"

…

Starfire sat on Cyborg's bed with many wounds. Though her body could heal far quicker than that of humans, eight hours of rest was only enough for her to recuperate, not to completely heal. Though she had to, the last thing she wanted to talk about was the attack on her and Raven that morning. After gulping down some water, Starfire began, "It was… shortly after we arrived. Raven and I had just finished examining our room and we were thirsty, so I offered to go downstairs and get some water. When I came back, I found Raven—her mouth bound with some sort of gag that oppressed her ability to cast spells. And there were these people—two of them, a bit older than us—attacking her. I instantly readied myself to do battle, but was attacked from behind by a third man. Raven and I—we fought hard. But they were so—so powerful."

"Star, what exactly do they look like? Do you remember?" Cyborg asked softly.

The Tamaranian shook her head and replied, "They all wore black jackets and their hoods concealed their faces. I could not see any of them clearly."

The former sighed and turned his head towards his other teammate, who had his teeth clenched and his eyes—or rather, his mask—glued onto a laptop. "Any luck, Robin?"

He nodded and replied, "Underground Manhattan. That's where her tracker is saying she is." Closing the laptop, Robin added, "Let's hope these 'Taboo', or whatever they are, aren't smart enough to throw away her belt somewhere."

"Then come on," Beast Boy cried out of nowhere. "Let's go!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Robin interrupted, jumping out of his seat. "You saw how beaten up Starfire was. What's your plan? Jump in with guns blazing? We have no idea how strong these people are."

"So what? We can't just stand here and let them hurt Raven!"

"The letter said midnight. That's plenty of time since now—"

"Really, Robin? You're going to trust what the people who are going to kill Raven? They have her! They could hurt her anytime they want."

"But we need a plan."

"We don't have time for a plan!"

"Beast Boy—"

"Quit acting like a—"

"I agree with Beast Boy," Cyborg interjected taciturnly. The two other male teammates turned their heads towards the robotic man, who stood up with clenched fists. "We're getting Raven—now. Starfire, you don't have to come if you can't."

Starfire shook her head. "Raven is my friend. It is my fault she is gone. I must go help rescue her."

Cyborg nodded and added, "We're leaving now. End of discussion."

Walking out the door, the man was followed by Starfire and a very shocked and confused Beast Boy and Robin.

…

Raven opened her eyes and saw a blur of light overhead. Focusing her eyes, her vision started to clear and she could see that she was in a very dark place. But where was she? She realized she was lying down and so she struggled to sit up, a feat that required much effort. Looking around for any clues of where she was, Raven found none. All she could see was that she was sitting on some sort of white circle that was radiating light—the only light source in the room she was in.

She tried to remember how she had gotten here. She was in the hotel… with Starfire. And then men came—men wearing… wearing… black jackets…

Men in black jackets? Why did that sound so… familiar…?

Raven couldn't focus on anything. Her mind was in a blur, still not fully awake from its forced slumber. Time passed and minutes seemed like seconds in her dizzy mind.

Not even a small but distinct _crash_ sound put her out of her trance-like state. Not even the sounds of people whispering behind her woke her up. Not even the words, "They're here, as expected," or the whispers, "A bit early, though. No matter," snapped her awake. Not even the sounds of fights battles and attacks and cries managed to wake her. Everything was a blur to her, and before she had realized it, she felt like she was falling.

And then she fell into his arms. "Raven…" she heard.

And then she woke.

And then she saw his face.

"Beast Boy…" she whispered.

"Raven," he said back with teary eyes. Not saying any more words, he embraced her, hugging her tightly in his arms.

"What—what happened?" she whispered.

"Nothing," he whispered back. "You're alright now. We beat them. They're gone. You're safe."

"Beast Boy," she said as her eyes started watering. "I'm… scared."

"Hey," he said, looking directly at her. "Don't cry, alright? That's not the Raven I know." Smiling, he added, "The Raven I know could fight Paen without letting a tear drop. And now you're crying for no reason. Who are you and what have you done to Raven? Hey, you gotta be strong, alright? Be strong for me."

Holding back some tears, she nodded. She'll be strong. As she hugged Beast Boy tightly, she saw that a few feet behind them stood Cyborg. His face… It seemed sad. Then he walked away.

"I won't cry," Raven whispered. "I'll be strong. I promise."

…

"Oh man!" the man in the black jacket cried. "Throwing that battle wore me out!" Entering a room where a few other people wearing black jackets stood, he continued, "I am NEVER gonna fight against weak little ants like those kids again!"

"You didn't enjoy it?" another man asked. "I found it quite amusing. Little bugs fighting us with all their might without the slightest clue that we could have killed them with a flick of our finger," he chuckled.

"Those _toys_ that call themselves 'Teen Titans'," a female Taboo said, "aren't even remotely enjoyable. How am I supposed to play with them if they don't even put up the _least_ bit of a fight?"

"The red haired one was strong, though," the first Taboo said.

"Yes, indeed," another one added. "Are you sure that Raven is truly stronger than the Tamaranian?"

"Yes. The Tamaranian has true physical strength, but does not come anywhere near Raven's power once at full potential."

"One question though," asked a Taboo. "Why couldn't we have killed Raven now? That's what the Conductor wants, right? To kill Raven?"

"Yes, but in due time. If we killed her now, the Teen Titans would undoubtedly contact the Azarathean Council. The last thing we need is for them to know we are after Raven. After all, they are already aware that we helped Seymour escape. After all, we got what we wanted. The white circle Raven was in drained enough of her power for the Conductor to enact the second part of his plan."

"The second part? And when will that be ready?"

"A few years… A small price to pay considering the end result."

The first Taboo sighed and said, "So much power, all in one girl. Just imagine how much she could do once she realizes her full potential…"

~Memories in my Heart~


	3. One Fateful Christmas x Azarath

He was a person of very striking aspect, with a white, lofty, and impending brow, large, brown, melancholy eyes, straight black hair that parted in the middle, and a mouth that was very, very still and pale as if he was cold. He was somewhat young, seemingly in his late twenties and was extremely intelligent, but was also a man of very few words. He was a very soft spoken man, very reserved, and rarely seemed to smile. His eyes always seemed sad, even in the rare moments when he did smile, and he walked with such insecurity and humbleness, always with his head down and his hands deep inside the pockets of his cloak. He always took to the shadowy paths and spoke with a freshness, and fragrance, and dewy purity of thought, which, as many people said, affected them like the speech of an angel. There was an air about this man,—an apprehensive, a startled, a half-frightened look,—as of a being who felt himself quite astray and at a loss in the pathway of human existence, and could only be at ease in some seclusion of his own. It was rumored that he was returning from a year of complete incognito; he was rumored to have been traveling around the poorer sectors of Azarath. He was a philosopher, they said, a rare and highly respected position in Azarath. His name, as he said it was, was Sanae Kang.

In essence, he was the exact opposite of Raphael, who stood before him in the Council meeting room. "Hello," Raphael greeted cheerfully, extending his hand to the man. "You must be Sanae Kang. I am Lieutenant Raphael. I've heard much of you and I'm grateful to have finally met you." Raphael's smile started to fade and quickly turned into shock as the philosopher stared at him emotionlessly and proceeded to give him a small bow. Without another word, he walked around Raphael and took a seat.

Though a bit stunned, Raphael decided to shrug off the incident and resumed to his seat. As the other Councilmen began piling in, Raphael took notice of how the other Councilmen greeted Sanae and went on their way, none expecting a greeting in return. It seemed that this 'Sanae' guy did not give greetings and the other Councilmen were aware of that, Raphael noticed. Raphael also noticed that as the meeting proceeded, most nearly everyone was deeply engaged in every subject that came up, but Sanae did not speak a single word. He merely sat at his seat quietly staring at his hands, or rather the gloves that covered his hands.

Throughout the entire meeting, Sanae had not shown a spark of interest until he briefly glanced up from his hands for just a moment as Father Don Quixote brought up the topic of the Taboo.

"About the Taboo," the elderly Father said. "What are we to do with them? For those who have not attended the previous meeting," he addressed, mostly towards Sanae, "The Taboo have seemingly returned and have assisted in the escape of Seymour on the very day of his planned execution."

"Have there been other incidents implying the return of the Taboo since then?" a professor asked.

"None," another returned.

"So this one incident was the only sign of the Taboo?" another chimed in.

"Indeed. This is strange. Very unlike their previous reign of terror."

"These must mean they are planning something—something on a huge scale."

"Possibly. But how would Seymour fit into the equation?"

"What would their purpose be?"

"Why would they want Seymour?"

"What could they be thinking?"

"Silence!" a Father shushed. Directing his attention towards Sanae, whose eyes were closed as if in deep thought, he addressed the philosopher, "Sanae, what do you think? Tell us what you think."

In a movement so quick, all the eyes of all the Councilmen—including those of Raphael—quickly turned towards the philosopher. Raphael watched in earnest as the man looked up from his hands upon being called, then look back down. The man let out a sigh—a long one, but was so quiet and subtle it was barely noticeable—and the pupils of his eyes began flickering back and forth like he was analyzing the air so subtly that most of the people in that room could not have seen it unless they were staring at the philosopher as hard as Raphael was. The latter stared hard at the former's face. Never once had Raphael ever met someone whose face lacked as much emotion as Sanae's did. He stared at him, searching for any single hint of emotion—confusion, shyness, thoughtfulness, anything—but to avail. His face completely lacked ordinary human emotion, as if he was in a deep sleep—except his face did not seem as peaceful as if he was sleeping. In some indescribable way, Sanae's face seemed rather… disturbed.

Finally, in what seemed like centuries what was actually seconds, the philosopher spoke, "The Taboo. They are not ignorant people. In fact, they might be cleverer than we are. What they know, we know naught. And what we know, they might know as well. Our goals they already know. Their goals we haven't the faintest clue. While they plan and plan, gathering information on all of our strengths and weaknesses, the best we could ever do is assume and prepare for the worst to come. They have the advantage. The last time the Taboo had attacked Azarath, each individual assault seemed to be completely isolated from the others. But this is not so. There have been a total of thirteen attacks made by the Taboo; one from each sector. With the exception of the one in Sector 1, each attack was in a town that seemed of little importance, and indeed it was. But there is a pattern in their attacks. Each town was completely destroyed by the Taboo. Every town destroyed was exactly thirteen kilometers from the temple of each respective sector and was situated exactly between the sector's temple and the Castle here in Sector 1. These attacks formed a 'Ring of Fire' of sorts, with the final attack on Sector 1 being in an exact circle around the Azarathean Castle. In addition, the order in what sectors were attacked was Sector 13, then Sector 8, then 5, then 11, then 2, then 9, then 10, then 6, then 3, then 12, then 7, then finally 1. When put together, they form the numerical sequence 1385112910631271. Considering the Taboo's reputation for details, I believe there is some significance to this number. Exactly what this sequence means, I cannot yet fathom. I do believe, however, it is safe to assume they are preparing a full-fledged attack of all of Azarath next, using this sequence as a sort of guideline or roadmap. And unless we begin preparing for that day right now, we cannot stand a chance against it."

Raphael was silent. He had not expected the deep analysis that Sanae had just given. He gazed in wonder at how this man managed to collect all the information that the Council had previously deemed worthless and presented in such a way that they all understood how everything was connected. It all just… clicked. But not of the other Council seemed the least bit surprised. As the philosopher resumed staring silently at his hands, the other Councilmen applauded his analysis and even patted him on the back, but none seemed the least bit shocked, as if this wasn't his first time displaying a nearly superhuman sense of intelligence.

"Hey Lieutenant," a captain sitting next to him whispered. "Don't be so surprised. You'd better get used to Sanae doing things like that. He's been talking like that ever since he entered the Council. Or at least, when he actually _does_ talk."

The rest of the meeting proceeded as usual. Plans were made regarded the Taboo and many other topics were addressed. But Raphael paid little attention to any of them. His attention was focused on that man—that one man. The man whose eyes stared at his hands as if he was reading them. The man whose mysterious silence and whose words piqued Raphael's attention. The man who suddenly took his eyes away from his hands and directed them towards Raphael, as if he knew he was being watched. And as the two men locked eyes, one man with a face of confusion and another with a face of complete blankness, Raphael said in his mind, "Who are you?"

…

As the Azarathean Council discussed their matters, a certain football field on Earth was silent and the air was still. Peace was in the air as the only sound present was the calm rustling of the leaves in the breeze and the soft swaying of the blades of grass.

Until it was effectively destroyed by a fresh "TTWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" from Robin's whistle.

Instantaneously, several young superheroes no older than the age of 16 began racing from one side of the football field to the other. "Go, Go, Go!" Robin yelled to his students. "Don't slow down! Hustle, hustle!"

It was a brand new day in New York, and the Young Superheroes' Academy was bustling with noise. Outside on the football field, Robin—as well as a few other superheroes—was busy training the promising students in physical exercises in agility and speed. In the turf adjacent to the football field, Starfire was drilling the superheroes in the art of flying, as well as varying flight techniques. In the basement weight room, Cyborg was training the young candidates in weight lifting and muscle building. Inside the gym, Beast Boy was training the shape-shifters of the students. In the study hall, Raven was teaching meditation and controlling telekinesis to the trainees. Finally, in one particular room inside the Academy, a group of students were discussing battle techniques and strategies with their teacher: Terra.

Terra, upon the insistence of the Teen Titans, had rejoined them a week before they had left for New York. Settling some affairs back in Jump City, Terra took a later flight to New York and had arrived the day after Raven was rescued. She was now on good terms with all the Titans, even Raven. Upon her reinitiation into the Titans, she assured Raven and Beast Boy that her feelings for the latter were gone.

It's been a month since Raven's capture and rescue, and the Titans, shaken by the incident, had decided to move out of the hotel and instead live in apartments close by to the school. The boys occupied room 20B and the girls occupied room 20C, each apartment about as big as a very small house but as warm and cozy as a mansion.

It was a cold December day, and the wonderful holiday Christmas had just arrived. The Academy bell had rung, students were piling into their dorms, and the teachers were busy leaving for the holidays. Among the teachers were Raven and Cyborg, who walked each other down the road to their apartments.

"Y'know, I'm kinda jealous," Cyborg started. "Robin and Starfire, you and Beast Boy. What about me? 'm I never gonna get a girlfriend?"

"Relax, Cyborg," chuckled Raven. "It'll happen, don't you worry."

"Well what if it doesn't, huh?"

"Why wouldn't it? You're smart, funny, strong, handsome… Any girl would fall for you."

Cyborg stared at his friend sadly and gently whispered under his breath with a hint of disappointment, "Any girl, huh?"

"Cheer up, Cyborg," Raven continued, not hearing what he had just said. "You're only 20. You've got plenty of time on your hands. And hey, maybe you'll find a mistletoe and get lucky."

"Why hasn't it snowed yet?" Cyborg wondered.

"I don't know. The news says it's unusually late this year. I can't wait until the snow comes. I love snow, you know?"

The mechanical man chuckled and asked Raven, "How come you're like that, Raven? Never seen you happy like this before. It's kinda weird!"

Raven stopped for a moment, realizing how different she was acting, then answered. "I don't know. I think—I think it's because of Paen." Speaking almost sadly, she said, "Back when I had Paen in me, I had to control my emotions. I couldn't let Paen get the better of me, so I had to stifle my negative emotions. I guess along the way, I just forgot how to express my positive ones." Smiling, she added, "But now Paen's gone, right? And now… I have Beast Boy."

"…Yeah… Beast Boy…"

"Hey? You alright? You seem a little down. Weird for _me_ to be saying this to _you_."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I guess."

"Hey Cyborg, did you buy any Christmas presents yet?"

"Yeah, got 'em yesterday. You?"

"I was going to go with Starfire today."

"I guess you'll expect a huge present from Beast Boy, huh?"

"No," she replied disappointedly. "He said he's been busy all night everyday doing work, he can barely breathe. He said he's only getting us socks this year."

"Oh, well. Who cares about presents, anyway? Later, Raven."

"Bye, Cyborg."

As the two reached their respective apartments, they separated. Raven walked into her room and threw herself onto her bed. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was 4:45. She will take about two hours to grade the students' homework. That leaves about three hours to go shopping for presents with Starfire. Raven smiled. How much she's changed ever since Paen had left her. Before, she would grudgingly go with Starfire to buy presents, and now she was perhaps even more eager than Starfire. Strange how much a person could change, she thought.

…

"And here are the monthly Teacher-Student Examinations, Ms. Prynne," the young assistant said cordially, handing Ms. Prynne the papers.

"Thank you, Nancy," Ms. Prynne replied. Glancing over the papers with her tired eyes, she sighed. It has been a tiring week, indeed, and she wished she could go home and just sleep through the entire holiday. But no… As the secretary of the Young Superheroes' Academy, she had to go through all the Teacher-Student Examinations and make sure all the teachers were performing excellently. Glancing through the papers, she quickly read through the teacher's names. "Lance, Larkson, Leonard, Little, Logan—" Upon reaching the name, Ms. Prynne suddenly stopped. "Logan…" she whispered.

Pulling out the paper, she looked at the top right corner to see the name "Garfield Logan" along with a picture of a young man with green skin and hair. As her hands began shaking, her eyes looked over to the section marked, "Date of Birth." And as she read the date, "6/2/1994," she felt as if a bucket of cold ice had been dumped on her back. "N—Nancy," she stammered. "Who is this teacher? Wh—What section does he teach?"

"Oh? Oh that would be Mr. Logan, Ms. Prynne," the assistant replied. "He is a guest teacher from the Teen Titans. I believe he teaches the shape-shifting class. Is there a problem?"

"No—not at all, Nancy. Is—Is this his address right here? Is this where he lives?"

"Umm… Yes ma'am."

As Ms. Prynne stood up, she quickly said, "I have to go now, Nancy. If someone asks, tell them I'm gone on an emergency." The startled woman then left, still clutching the piece of paper marked, "Garfield Logan."

…

"Merry Christmas!" shouted a group of six friends known as the Teen Titans. That night, food was eaten, laughter was shared, and presents were passed around. Laughter and joy and happiness was spread all around the room as the six friends—Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg, and Terra—gathered around the Christmas tree and shared presents. Beast Boy then proceeded to apologize that he couldn't get anything better than socks this year and all the others chimed in together saying that it didn't matter. Slowly, each Titan opened their presents one by one. Eventually, Raven was the last to open her presents, and she proceeded to do so with unusual delight.

"First from Beast Boy," she announced. "Socks… same as everyone.

"Now Starfire. A scarf! Thanks, Star.

"Robin's next. A light that clips on to books! I'll use these when I'm reading at night.

"Terra's present. Terra, you shouldn't have! This watch is beautiful!

"Best for last, Cyborg!" Unwrapping the present, Raven's small smile started to fade as she saw what it was. At first, she expected it to be clothes or something small but what she saw… was none of those things… As she saw Cyborg's present, she was instantly shocked.

It was a small, framed photograph of her and Cyborg in front of his car. She remembered it was the time that she had helped him fix it. On the bottom left corner lay a caption: "Friends Always."

"Cyborg…" Raven said. "I—I don't know what to say."

"Oh, yeah. That," Cyborg said nonchalantly. "I—uh—I just found that picture and I decided to frame it and give it to you. No big deal."

"Cyborg… I really appreciate this. Thank you."

"You're—You're welcome," Cyborg stammered.

Later, after the others were cleaning up, Cyborg whispered to Raven, "Can we talk for a sec? I gotta talk to you about somethin'."

"Sure," Raven replied as she followed him outside onto the empty hallway between the two apartments. "What's up?"

"I—uh," Cyborg started. "About my present…"

"Oh, yeah. I really liked it. I mean I really did. Thanks."

"No… I…" he stammered. "Why can't I say this…"

"What?"

"But I can't… I can't tell you…"

"Cyborg. What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything."

"But I ca—. I… Ok… Look, I'm not asking you for anything, ok? I just need to let it out… I just need you to know. I wish…"

"Yes…?"

"I wish I don't… but I do. I wish I could stop… but I can't…"

"What is it?"

"I can't… stop…"

"Cyborg…?"

"…Falling for… you…"

Both were silent. As Cyborg's eyes went upwards from Raven's shocked, confused face, he noticed a small plant dangling from the ceiling. "Mistletoe…" he whispered. He glanced back down onto Raven's confused eyes. He could feel his heart pumping with fear. What was to happen? What would she say? What would—"

"What the Hell!" Cyborg heard a startled Beast Boy yell. Both Cyborg and Raven turned to see a shocked Beast Boy staring at the former. "What are you doing?" Storming towards Cyborg, he pushed him away, yelling, "What are you doing, Cyborg?"

"Beast Boy, I—"

"What are you doing? She's my girlfriend!"

"Beast Boy…"

"And you're my best friend! How could you?"

"If I could stop it I would!" Cyborg shouted. "If I could stop myself I would. But I can't. I just can't! I've hidden it for so long now. I've hidden it since before you two started dating! I wanted to say it for a long time. But then you two started going out." As Raven and Beast Boy stared at their mechanical friend in shock, a boiling Cyborg continued, "I loved her before you did! I did! I'm always the one who tried to make Raven smile. Ever since I've met her I wanted her to smile. I'm always the one who tries to understand her, not you! While you were calling her an insensitive freak, I was always telling you to try to understand her. Before you two started going out, you were always fighting with each other. Always fighting! And I'm always the one who tries to understand her, who tries to make her smile. So now why should you get to have her? Huh? I've always wanted to tell her how I felt. And now I'm here cursing my goddamn luck because YOU told her how you felt first!"

Panting in rage, Cyborg said softly to Raven, "I'm sorry," then walked away.

…

Beast Boy walked towards the door to his apartment upon hearing several knocks from outside. "It's almost midnight. I swear, if that's Cyborg…" he grumbled. Opening the door, he saw not Cyborg, but a thin, middle aged woman with long, brown hair wearing a Young Superheroes' Academy Staff uniform clutching a piece of paper.

"I'm sorry, but are you Garfield Logan?" she asked in a small, almost frightened voice.

"Yes?" Beast Boy slowly replied. "Who are you?"

"I'm—My name is Sarah Prynne," the woman said. With a quivering voice, the woman said to him, "I'm your mother."

~Memories in my Heart~


	4. A World of White x Earth

**I apologize for the size of this quite lengthy chapter. It's a long one, but it has been my favorite chapter to write so far and I'm thinking one of my favorite chapters of the entire story. I hope it's a joy to read as it was to write as well. So enjoy!**

* * *

The two sat in silence in Beast Boy's apartment. Neither of them had the courage to look up at the other, so both just stared at their hands. "It was about 19 years ago," the woman said. "I fell in love with a man one summer. He was… truly someone indescribable. He was a soldier in a secret government division. I loved him so much and I could tell he loved me, too. We were engaged, and everything went perfectly. We planned out our perfect wedding, where we were going for our honeymoon, what our future life was like. Then one day a little while before the wedding, I found out I was pregnant. I remember just how happy I was. I was eager to tell him; I knew he would be just as happy as I was. After all, the rest of our life was beginning. But he didn't come home from work that day. Worried, I called his job. Then they told me he was—he was... KIA. Killed in an explosion. And he was gone… I remember that night, I was crying myself to sleep while caressing my womb, knowing that his baby—you—was in there.

"You were four weeks overdue," she continued. "I was getting worried. Why wouldn't you come out? More importantly, how would I raise you? My and your father's plan was that with his well-paying job, I could go to college while raising you, and we wouldn't have any financial problems. But now that he was dead, that plan was gone. I was 21 and I had just gotten accepted into a good school. I had dreams of becoming a businesswoman. I had dreams… none of which I could have fulfilled if I had a child by myself. And I had no relatives nearby that could take care of you. You would've had a terrible life if you lived with me. What was I to do? When you were born, summer had just begun. I was scared, so scared. Eventually, I had no choice. I put you up for—up for adoption, changed my name, and went to college. I heard you were adopted by a pair of scientists, Mark and Marie Logan. They were rich, successful, smart. I knew they would raise you in such a better way than I could ever have. It was heartbreaking, having to let you go, Gar. But I had no choice. Just imagine what kind of life you would have had if you stayed with me.

"Many years later, I found out your adoptive parents had died. And then I heard you became part of some superhero group, the Doom Patrol, or something. And so I decided to take the job at the Young Superheroes' Academy, in hopes that one day I would find you through this school. And now I have. Now I have, Gar."

As the woman finished, Beast Boy clenched his fists. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. There she was—this woman who claims to be his mother. But—but how? How could she be his mother? Slowly, he looked up at her face, hoping he could detect any signs of a lie. But all he saw was tear-filled eyes. She can't be lying, then.

"So…" she said. "Tell me about yourself. What kind of person you are." Beast Boy was silent. "Go on, tell me," she insisted.

"…Not much to say," Beast Boy replied quietly.

"Umm… What kinds of friends do you have?"

"…I… don't have any friends."

"What foods do you like?"

"…Nothing in particular."

"What do you like to do?"

"…Nothing."

"Please, Gar," she pleaded. "Please help me. Forgive me, please! Let me know you! Let me know who you are—"

"Well you had eighteen years to know!" he snapped. "You had eighteen years to find out. And in all that time, you didn't!"

"I _did_ try, Gar, I did! And I didn't want to give you up, you know that!"

"You could've tried a lot harder to find me. If you actually loved me you would've tried harder."

"Garfield!—"

"That's right, I'm Garfield. Garfield Logan. Not Garfield Prynne. Garfield _Logan_! You are not my mother." Panting, Beast Boy took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "I'm sorry…" he said, resuming a soft voice. "But you walked out on me before, now I'm walking out on you. I'm going to have to ask you to leave… Just… act like you don't know me."

Despondent, the woman hesitantly stood up and gently walked out of the apartment. Beast Boy was left alone in the living room. So many things were happening, all in one day. First Cyborg… now this. Both of them were people very important to him; his best friend, whom he always trusted, and his birth mother, whom he never knew about until now. And both betrayed him. Cyborg tried to steal his girlfriend and his mother showed up after eighteen years and pretended everything would be alright. How could they!

Beast Boy tried to forget both incidences, but found that he could not. Cyborg's words still ringed in his ears. _"I loved her before you did! Before you two started going out, you were always fighting with each other. And I'm always the one who tries to understand her, who tries to make her smile. So now why should you get to have her? I've always wanted to tell her how I felt. And now I'm here cursing my goddamn luck because YOU told her how you felt first!"_

Beast Boy shuddered. It was chilling—it hurt, having to hear such words come from his best friend. Then again, he never really thought about how Cyborg felt. If what Cyborg said was true, then he must have truly had feelings for Raven… maybe just as much as Beast Boy, himself did, right? After all, Beast Boy thought, they were best friends. Why would Cyborg intentionally try to hurt him? Of course he would never do that! He just needed to tell Raven how he felt. That's all. And it's not like he was trying to steal Raven. He just needed to let it out. Isn't that what Beast Boy, himself, felt the same way when _he_ told Raven how he felt? He and Cyborg had been best friends since they met. He shouldn't let this get between them. Maybe he should just forgive and forget…

Same with his mother, too. After all, she truly did try to find him. And he could tell she deeply regretted giving him up for adoption. Maybe he should just calm down and think about how other people are feeling. After all, he used to always got mad at Raven for being so secluded. And now he knew why: because she had to in order to protect everybody from Paen. He had just misunderstood her. And now he was misunderstanding Cyborg and misunderstanding his own mother. Maybe he should just try to understand them. Just understand.

…

Five Days Later, December 30

…

Raven woke to the sounds of Starfire screaming in delight. Groaning, Raven tried to force herself back to sleep but was nearly knocked off her bed as Starfire jumped on it, yelling, "Raven, Raven, oh Raven! Look outside, look! It is magic!"

"Ugh, whaaat?" she moaned. "What could it possibly be, Starfire?"

"Come on, Rae!" said Terra. "Look outside!"

"Fine…" Picking herself off the bed, Raven walked towards the window and opened her curtains to see…

"Snow!" Raven exclaimed—or rather, her version of exclaiming, which was basically talking a little higher pitched and more enthusiastically than usual. Nevertheless, her smile was impressive, alright. And there it was, outside her window was a world of white blanketed in snow. As far as the eye could see, everything was covered in layers and layers of cold whiteness. In the earth, no other color but white could be seen. And in the skies, nothing but white as well. Not even the color of the sun was strong enough to penetrate the snowy sky.

After the three girls dressed in layers of clothes and jackets and mittens and hats, they ran out onto the hallway and down the stairs towards the front entrance, where Cyborg and Robin stood waiting for them. Raven tried her best to avoid eye contact with Cyborg and she could tell he was doing the same. "Ready to go to Central Park?" Robin declared.

"Yeah!" came the response.

Walking up to Raven as the others left, Robin whispered, "But not you, Raven. Someone wants to meet you at Choonchun Trail." With a wink, Robin casually walked out the door, leaving behind a smiling Raven. She had a feeling she knew who 'someone' was.

Checking her surroundings to make sure there weren't any babies or old people who she could potentially scare and/or give a heart attack to, Raven focused her energy and transformed into her Soul Self, a large ethereal raven as black as night, and flew up towards the snowy sky.

Landing at Choonchun Trail, Raven transformed back into herself. After vainly attempting to dust snow off her blue coat, she looked down the road, seeing a small trail that extended quite a long way, with snow covered trees on both sides. Where's Beast Boy, she wondered. After a few seconds of waiting, she eventually grew impatient and decided to check out the trail by herself. Walking down the trail with the sounds of birds tweeting in the air and snow crunching under her blue boots, Raven looked all around her, noticing how utterly peaceful this place was. With the exception of the freezing air, this place almost reminded her of her secret cliff hideaway back in Jump City, where she would go to privately meditate. _It's just so… so peaceful_, Raven thought. _So nice, so serene, so—AHH!_

Raven's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden blast of snow on the left side of her face. Scraping snow off her cheek, Raven turned around to see a chuckling green boy wearing a beige overcoat. "Beast Boy!" she yelled. Bending down and gathering some snow in her hands, Raven threw a small snowball back at Beast Boy. "Why'd you do that? Huh?" she said with a smile.

"I hate it when you're quiet," he replied. "I don't want you to be thinking 'bout sad things!"

"Since when do I think about sad things?"

"Since when _don't_ you think abo—" he stopped, realizing what he was saying as he saw Raven's smile start to fade.

"Do I?" she asked. "Do I always think about sad things?"

"Raven," he started, "I didn't mean it, I—"

"But I do, don't I?" With gloomy eyes, she said, "You know, I've had Paen inside me for so long, I've always had to control my negative emotions. Maybe… Maybe now that it's gone, I can focus on my positive ones."

Smiling, Beast Boy said, "Yeah. I mean, that's what being human is all about, right?" Stepping closer to her and gently grabbing her shoulders, he said, "I think you've worried enough about the bad… so why don't we focus on the good for a change?"

With these words, he stared into her eyes, her wonderful, beautiful eyes. Strange, they seem to be sparkling a lot now. Maybe it's because for the first time in her life, Raven was truly, completely happy. Before, when she had Paen trapped inside her heart, Raven always seemed a bit sad. Even when she was smiling, even when she seemed happy, there was always a hint of melancholy in her eyes. But now Paen was gone, and so was that shadow of sadness in her eyes. Maybe that's why she's never been more beautiful than she was now. Raven was, indeed, one of the bravest and most beautiful women Beast Boy had ever known. He stared in her eyes with a smile—until he was smacked on the side of his face with a fistful of snow.

"Got you!" Raven laughed.

"Hey!" shouted Beast Boy as he fell to the ground. Jumping up, he picked up a pile of snow and flung it all at Raven.

"No! Stop!"

"Haha, what now? Hey! Hey, quit it!" he laughed.

"Take that!"

"Quit it, Rae!"

"Why should I? Hey, no stop!" Raven shouted as Beast Boy began gathering a dump of snow on his arms and waving it dangerously over her head. "Beast Boy! Stop!"  
"Haha, why should I?"

"Beast Boy, no! I'm serious! No!"

"I'm gonna do it!"

"Ha, stop!"

"I'm gonna drop it all on you!"

"NO!"

"Take this!" Beast Boy cried.

"Noo—ahh!" she screamed as a pile of snow plunged onto her body.

"Hahahahaha, what's up? Hey! Let go of my foot! Let goo—whoa!"

As Beast Boy fell on his back, he opened his eyes to see Raven with a fistful of snow above him. "Eat snow!" she yelled as she shoved it into his lips.

Laughing and spitting snow out of his mouth, Beast Boy said, "Hey Raven, let's make snowmen." And so they made snowmen. Sitting on a small picnic table nearby the trail, the two made small snowmen, each carving out artworks of snow. After several minutes of shoveling snow, patting it into perfect spheres, and decorating with sticks and stones, two snowmen were made, each about a foot high.

"There," said Beast Boy with a smile. "This," he declared, pointing at his own snowman, "is Snowman Beast Boy, and that is Snowman Raven."

"Oh really?" Raven replied sarcastically. "Well that's good because mine is far prettier."

"In your dreams! You're just jealous of mine!"

"Please, your snowman is ugly. I guess that apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"You're envious of my talent. The magnificent masterpiece of Garfield Logan. What do you have to say about that, huh?"

"You're full of fail, as usual," Raven said stubbornly. "And about your 'masterpiece', I can proudly say… it hurts to look."

"Hmph. Hey, I got an idea!" With a mischievous smile, Beast Boy took both snowmen, turned them facing each other, then slowly pushed them towards each other until their lips met.

"They're kissing!" Raven said. "Ew, get that ugly snowman off of Snowman Raven! Quit it, Beast Boy, you're so childish!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Hey, Raven."

"What?" As Raven turned to face Beast Boy, she was caught off guard as he suddenly leaned forward and gently pressed his lips onto hers. At once, she felt an enormous heat erupt from inside her body. Though she was freezing cold, she instantly became warm as if a fire had ignited and was kindling inside her heart. As if one kiss, one single kiss, was enough to light a fire in her heart and warm her entire body. Her hands became warm up to the very tip of her fingers. Her face became hot like embers were laid on it. Her chest burned with a fiery passion. And it was all in an instant, like a flicker of a candle. And then, as Beast Boy's lips left hers and they formed a smile on his face, the fire seemed to have died, as well. But the feeling of warmth still persisted. And as she smiled right back—her shy little smile—she could still feel a small flame burning in her heart.

The two then left the picnic table and the two snowmen, still in their kissing position, as the boy dragged the girl further down the Choonchun Trail. Down the trail they went, right turns, left turns, U-turns, wrong turns, until finally they turned towards a small building. "What's that?" Raven asked, but Beast Boy was already at the door and was motioning her inside.

Walking inside, Raven saw that it was almost like a gymnasium; it was about as large as one, but there wasn't any white tape on the ground, and there were chairs like in a movie theater rather than bleachers, and at the center of the room, where all the chairs faced, stood a lone grand piano, dusty, yet as black as a crow in a night sky.

"It used to be a recital hall," Beast Boy said, walking towards the piano. "But it's too old now, and it's abandoned. For some reason, they left the piano behind, though." Raven, curious, followed Beast Boy to the strange piano. As both sat down on the bench, Beast Boy carefully lifted up the lid of the keys. As it creaked open—having not been touched in ages—the lid opened to reveal to the shiny eyes of the boy and the girl a set of yellowing, aged, but still fully functioning piano keys. "Wanna try it out?" Beast Boy whispered. He didn't know why he whispered, but the room was filled with a whispering atmosphere, and he thought it best to whisper.

"But you can't play piano!" she whispered back.

Chuckling, he replied, "There's a lot about me you don't know, Raven." With these words, he placed his fingers on the delicate keys and they began playing. No—they were dancing on the keys, pressing with such precision and such emotion, such softness yet such clarity, it was impossible to be real. And yet, it was. As Beast Boy played the piano, the soft melody gushed from the grand piano and echoed throughout the room, flying around the walls then reverberating back and flowing into Raven's ears and coming to a rest in her heart.

"Wow," Raven whispered in awe. "Wait—I know this song." As Beast Boy smiled at her, she slowly remembered what this song was. And then, with a smile, she started singing it:

"_I know now that you're gone, I'll be alone._

_Alone with memories, my very own._

_Maybe someday you will return to me, my love._

_But through the lonely years,_

_I'll cry these lover's tears."_

It was it! Smiling, Raven continued singing and Beast Boy continued playing.

"_I think of all the joy I used to know,_

_But now this happiness we share no more._

_I long for your embrace, your tender kiss—a moment of bliss._

_But for now I'll have to cry_

_These lover's tears."_

This was _Lover's Tears_, the song that Beast Boy had shown Raven so long ago, the song he had sung for her when he saved her from Paen, the song that she had loved so much. As Raven continued singing, she remembered all the memories she and Beast Boy shared, all the memories she didn't want to forget, all the memories she'd cherish forever.

"_Come back to me once more my love_

_And please never leave me again._

_Until that day, I'll wait for you._

'_Til then my love, I know I'll never be the same_

_Wherever you may be, please hear this plea,_

_Come back and end these tears of misery_

_I long for your embrace, your tender kiss—a moment of bliss,_

_So through the lonely years_

_I'll cry these lover's tears._

_And until my love returns,_

_I'll cry these lover's tears."_

…

Raphael pointed at a certain area of the map of Azarath. "Ok, we'll then set up our forces here and we'll entrap the Taboo here then. When we do that, Lieutenant Morgan will—" he said to a few other lieutenants until a _BOOM_ cut him off. Startled, he asked, "What's going on?"

Hearing shouts and cries come from outside the tower, he rushed outside the room and into the hall. "It's them!" He heard a voice call. Turning around, he was hit headfirst by a young and panicky Brother. "Ah—what's going on?" he demanded.

"It's—it's _them_. _They're_ here!" The monk cried. "The Taboo are here!"

…

It was 10:36 PM, and a great flock of people began piling out of a theater—which had just presented a brilliant performance of _The Phantom of the Opera_—and into the bustling streets of Times Square in New York City. Among the flock of walkers and chatters and laughers and popcorn-eaters was a girl wearing a blue coat and a boy wearing a beige overcoat, both shivering and with their hands deep inside their pockets in an attempt to keep them warm. The streets were filled with people and the skies still had a little snow sprinkling down. "What?" Beast Boy asked, smiling. "Why do you want to know?"

"I just want to remember some things about you!" Raven snapped. "Now tell me!"

"That's a pretty stupid reason, Rae."

"Do I need a reason to ask you a very simple question?"

"Heh, fine. My favorite color is green."

"Ok, obvious… What's your favorite season?"

"Hmm… Winter."

"Interesting… Favorite flower?"

"Uh… White rose."

"Little girly, but fine. Favorite hobby?"

"Not answering your stupid questions, that's for sure."

"Shut up! Favorite animal?"

"Hmm…" Beast Boy pondered. Then with a smile, he answered, "People!"

"People?" Raven scoffed in return. "Alright fine. Any person in particular?"

Glancing at her with a sly smile, he answered, "Like I'm telling you that."

"You _will_ tell me!" she ordered.

"How about no?" he chuckled.

"Whatever. Alright, a deal then: if you tell me your favorite person, I'll tell you mine. Alright?"

"Deal."

"Ok. But not now!"

"When?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," she said with a smile. "Tomorrow night. Meet me here," she said, pointing towards the sign they were standing under. "Meet me here tomorrow night at midnight, New Year's Eve. Then we'll tell each other. Promise?"

With a smile, he answered, "Promise."

…

"No!" Raphael screamed in pain as he was knocked onto the floor. With difficulty, he stood up, but was met with thirteen swords floating in the air, pointing towards him. Raphael stared at the man who was telekinetically controlling the swords—the Conductor—in rage.

"It's over. Azarath belongs to the Taboo now," sneered the Conductor.

"What—what do you want?" grunted Raphael.

"Now, do you truly think I would tell you?" the Conductor asked with a jeering voice. Snickering, he continued, "The Taboo rescued me because I was the chosen successor of the Conductor. They chose me because of my superior intellect; I was chosen out of the millions of possible successors because they had recognized my potential. As such, my plan is simply far too complex for a brain the size of yours to contemplate."

"Why you!" Raphael started. "What are you talking about? Who do you think you are, huh?"

"Now, now, Raphael, don't you start," the Conductor said. "I'd have thought you'd learn a thing or two by now."

"What?" said Raphael, taken aback. "How—how do you know my name?"

Smiling, the Conductor removed the hood of his black jacket, revealing a stony face with a cold smile. "Missed me?" asked Seymour.

…

The Next Day, December 31

…

Raven slurped up the remainder of her ramen noodles. Wiping her lips with a napkin, she picked up the bowl and placed it into the sink. "Starfire, you done yet, or do you want another bowl?"

Turning around to see her Tamaranian friend gulp down her fourth bowl of ramen, Raven was answered with a mouth-filled, "Perhaps just one more, please." Smiling, Raven went over to the pot of boiling water and hot noodles and poured out another bowl for Starfire. She then heard the sound of the front door of the apartment opening and a voice saying, "I'm beat! What's for dinner?"

"Ramen," Raven replied as Terra sat down at the table. Bringing one bowl for Terra and one for Starfire, Raven collapsed into her chair, breathless. "Hey," she said. "Can you guys do the dishes tonight?"

"Why?" Terra asked. "What're you doing tonight?"

"Going out," the girl in the blue cloak said with a shy smile. "With Beast Boy."

"Oh, have fun."

"War or yoo too gown toonah?" asked Starfire, whose mouth was filled with ramen.

Translating the garbled sentence to mean, "Where are you two going tonight?" Raven answered, "Times Square, at midnight."

"For New Years'?" Terra said, smiling. "Isn't that romantic? Hey, Raven, what's on TV?"

As the girls walked into the living room—Terra and Starfire with their bowls of ramen—and situated themselves on the couch, they flipped on the TV and watched the entire _The Sound of Music_. After three hours of singing, dancing, and nonstop commercials for that new phone that just came out as if the last four models just wasn't good enough, Raven announced that she was leaving and started shoving her arms into her coat.

"Already?" Starfire asked. "But it is merely 11:20."

"I want to come early," Raven replied. "What? I'm not gonna let Beast Boy stand there waiting for me with his stupid smile and say, 'You're late, Rae. As always.' No, _he's_ going to be the one to hear those words. Bye guys."

…

Beast Boy left the post office with a smile. Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was 11:50. "Hmm, wasn't I supposed to meet someone?" he asked himself playfully. "Ah right, the Wicked Witch of the West. Heheh, what would she do if she heard me call her that?" Walking down the road towards Times Square, Beast Boy imagined how Raven's face would look like tonight—just him and her under the fireworks, celebrating a brand new year.

Not looking where he was going, Beast Boy accidentally bumped into a person. "Oh my bad—" he started, until he realized in shock who it was he had bumped into.

"Garfield?" Sarah Prynne said. Both boy and woman stared at each other with still eyes. Both were silent and still, neither moving a single muscle. Here she was the woman who had abandoned Beast Boy when he was just born. Here he was, the boy whom she had given away eighteen years ago. Both were unflinching as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Gar," she started. "Gar—Wait no, come back!" But it was too late. Beast Boy was already running away—far away from that woman. He promised himself he wouldn't see her again. He couldn't. Even though he understood her, he couldn't forgive her. He couldn't face her after what she had done to him. And so he ran. Getting away from her was all he wanted to do. Not thinking about anything else, he ran. Running until he couldn't hear her or see her or think about his birth mother again.

And then… he stopped.

Panting, Beast Boy tried desperately to catch his breath. Leaning against a wall and sliding down into a sitting position, Beast Boy panted and gasped. After several minutes, he recovered from his brief sprint, but as he stood up, he realized just how lost he was. He saw that he was in an alley, but which alley it was, he could not fathom. Everything around him was completely unfamiliar; living in New York for a month didn't give him enough knowledge to have a mental map of the entire city. Beast Boy had no idea where he was now. How was he going to make it back? Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was already 11:57.

Meanwhile, at Times Square, Raven stood slightly worried. It was almost midnight, and there was still no sign of Beast Boy. "Relax," she said to herself. "There's still three more minutes until twelve. He'll make it. He promised, right?"

Miles away, Beast Boy morphed into a falcon and dove upwards into the night sky. Soaring in the air above the skyscrapers, he flew around trying to find something familiar. But in the dark night, all the buildings looked alike to him; he couldn't tell one from the other. Flying around and almost hitting a building due to how dark it was, Beast Boy tried to find any clue as to where he was. Wait a second, he thought, it was New Year's Eve. On New Year's, New York always as a big countdown with a giant ball dropping at Times Square. All he had to do was fly in the direction of all the noise.

But back in Times Square, Raven became genuinely worried as everyone started counting down, "10, 9, 8, 7…"

"Where are you?" Raven said to Beast Boy in fear.

"5, 4, 3, 2…"

"Beast Boy…"

"Happy New Year!"

Beast Boy, flying in the direction of the sound of cheering, realized that he had missed the countdown. But he could still reach Raven if he hurried. Their night was still safe. And so he flew as fast as he could towards the bright lights and loud sounds.

"Ten minutes late now," Raven said to herself, unaware that Beast Boy was flying towards her as fast as he could.

At last, Beast Boy could see the lights. Diving towards the ground, he morphed back into human form and landed in the middle of a large crowd of people. "Whoa, whoa! Coming through! Green kid coming through!" he yelled to the people who were otherwise oblivious to him. Shoving them aside, he looked at the buildings above, searching for the post under which he was supposed to meet Raven. There it is! Glancing down at his watch, he saw that it was already 12:14 AM. "Come on, come on! Please wait, Raven. I'm almost there!"

Shoving aside the many people on the sidewalks, he ran towards the meeting place as fast as he could.

Raven's heart was pounding in fear. Where was he?

Beast Boy's legs starting aching from all the running, but he couldn't stop. He had to catch up to Raven before it was too late.

"It's already 12:21," Raven thought. "Maybe he's not coming. Did—did he forget? He forgot didn't he?"

In what seemed like forever, Beast Boy finally caught sight of Raven. There she was, only a couple feet away from him. "Raven!" he yelled, trying to catch her attention. "Raven! Raven!" But she couldn't hear him. Concerned, Beast Boy started running across the busy street, on which many cars were racing past. "Raven!" he called as he carefully avoided all the cars.

But before he could get to the other side of the road, he saw Raven turn around and walk away. "No, Raven!" he yelled. "Don't go! Don't go yet. I'm here! Raven!"

But Beast Boy's calls were broken by the sound of two very loud cannon-like _honk honk_'s. The shock of hearing such a loud, terrible sound caused him to stop in his tracks. What was that, he thought. Turning towards his left side to see what was making the awful sound, he saw two very bright lights—so bright it was as if two suns were colliding into one another. Shocked by the blinding light and the deafening honks, all of Beast Boy's thoughts were erased and replaced with only one: what _was_ that horrible thing in front of him? Those two horrifying bright lights, like two demonic orbs coming to attack him, and that staggering _honk honk_ sound like a cannon that rang in his ears and shook his heart. As he stared at the monstrous object, he slowly realized that it was getting bigger and bigger. Was it… growing? No—it wasn't getting bigger, but was getting _closer_. Closer and closer the object approached him. Something told Beast Boy to get out of its way, to let it pass him. But something was stopping him from moving—preventing him from jumping away, as if his legs were frozen in fear and in shock from the thunderous clap of the earsplitting _honk_'s and his senses halted by the glaring lights. After what seemed like an eternity, Beast Boy gasped upon sudden realization of what that thing was—what those two bright lights were and what the booming sound was. He tried to move, he tried to get away, but he couldn't. And still that thing kept getting closer and closer and closer and closer. And then… it all stopped. All the sounds, all the noise, all the lights, everything… disappeared and was replaced by a brief requiem of deafening, deadly silence. The last thing he said in a voice so soft before being struck by the bus was one word, one name that he cherished in his heart: "Raven…"

That night, the snowy ground of Times Square was stained with blood.

~Memories in my Heart~


	5. When The Love Falls x Earth

**As sort of a background music kind of thing, go to YouTube and search this song: watch?v=IVeD9b8cgow&feature=related**

**Play it around Starfire's first line for maximum effect.**

**And since I've been criticized for it in my last FanFiction, I am required to warn you that this chapter may not be the happiest. Read at your own discretion. That's all, enjoy!**

* * *

"_Raven…"_

Raven awoke to the blaring sounds of her alarm clock. _Beep, beep, beep_. Groaning and shutting off the machine, she rolled over in her bed and permitted herself five more minutes of sleep. Fifteen minutes of sleep later, Raven hurried out of bed and got herself ready for school. She brushed her teeth, dressed, and ate a bowl of cereal alone that morning; Starfire and Terra had left early to help shovel snow in front of the school, an easy task with their superpowers. Finishing her breakfast, she grabbed her bag and left the apartment. Walking down the street towards the academy, Raven contemplated what to say to Beast Boy when she'd see him today.

"Hmm… Hey, Beast Boy," she started. "So Happy New Year's. Hey, remember that little date we had last night? Y'know, we were going to meet at Times Square. Too bad you forgot about it! I had a marvelous time by myself, watching the fireworks. You sure missed out. No, that won't do…

"Happy New Year's, Beast Boy. You won't believe what I did last night. I went to Times Square to see the fireworks. Cool huh? Well, I _was_ supposed to meet someone there, but he didn't show up. What an idiot…

"Hey, Beast Boy!" she tried. "Where have you been last night? Did you forget about our date? I waited so long for you in the freezing cold! Did you have any idea how worried I was? What do you have to say for yourself? Huh? No, I can't say that...

"Beast Boy, don't you have something to say to me? An 'I'm sorry' would do. I hope you know you really hurt me. You know, if you couldn't make it, you could have at least knocked on my door before I left and tell me you couldn't go. I'd understand…

"Hmm… Hey Beast Boy, I'm really sorry. Remember our little date last night? I couldn't go. I'm sorry, really I am. A student came and I had to help him. I know I should've told you. Did I make you wait long…?"

Raven sighed. Yes, maybe that's what she'll say to him. She'll pretend she couldn't make it so he wouldn't feel completely bad. She'll forgive him this one time. Just this once, at least. As she approached the school and walked up the stairs towards homeroom, she agreed that she'll forgive him. But just this time.

Opening the door, Raven was met with a very strange sight. All the students in the classroom as well as all the teachers who were gathered at the front of the room were… in tears. They were all sniffling and crying and sobbing. The girls were sobbing in their seats, and some boys hid their eyes and held a frown on their faces.

Weirded and confused by the sight, Raven slowly walked across the front of the classroom towards the teacher's seats and was shocked to see Robin, Starfire, Terra, and Cyborg in the same state. Robin, for the first time, was not wearing his mask, and had furrowed eyebrows and a small, grim frown on his face. Starfire had massive tears strolling down her cheeks and was whimpering softly. Terra was in the worst shape, with her head down and covered by her arms. Horrible sobs could be heard from within her blanket of arms. And even Cyborg, arguably the toughest of the Titans, was caught in the gloomy trance. Though he was staring out the window and his arms were crossed, Raven could see his human eye was just as red as his robotic eye. What was going on? Raven thought. Why was everybody crying? And, Raven noticed, a certain green boy was missing from the scene.

Hesitantly, Raven asked her teammates, "What's… going on? What—what happened? Where's Beast Boy?" She looked to each of her teammates for an explanation, but was answered only by a long sigh from Cyborg. "Guys?" she asked.

Briefly stopping her sniffling, Starfire looked up at her friend and stammered, "R—Raven. Bea—Beast B—Boy… Beast Boy… is… dead."

"What?" Raven said with widened eyes. "No… that can't be. That's… not possible."

"It's true!" screamed Terra as she lifted her face from her arms. "He died in an accident—he died while going out to meet you!"

Raven felt like a bucket of ice was poured down her back as Starfire's words rang in her ear. _"Beast Boy… is… dead."_ Shaking her head in disbelief, Raven said, "No, that—that can't be. Beast Boy's… not…" Beast Boy was—what? He was… dead? No, that's impossible. They're—they're lying, all of them. They're lying. He wasn't… dead. He couldn't be. No, they're lying. She felt her heart start beating faster and faster. This is a joke. It's all a joke, just a joke. It's all just a sick joke. Beast Boy, that idiot, was probably hiding in a closet and he's going to pop out and say 'Surprise, fooled ya!' and everybody would laugh and then she'd—she'd run over and punch his gut and yell, 'Beast Boy you scared me!' Yes, that's what she'd do. Because none of this is real. It's all just a joke. Beast Boy wasn't dead. He wasn't dead… was he? He—he can't be. Looking around her for any sign of a lie—any sign of a snicker or a chuckle or a hint of a smile—anything to confirm her belief that this was all just a joke, that this was a lie, that Beast Boy wasn't actually dead, Raven found none. All she saw were tears and sobs and cries and red eyes and tears and sobs and cries and red eyes and tears and sobs and cries and red eyes and tears and sobs and cries and red eyes and…

Before she knew it, Raven felt her legs start to run out the door of the classroom. Running down the stairs, she heard someone follow her and grab her arm. Turning around to see the distinct figure of Cyborg clutching her arm and yelling her name, Raven screamed, "Let me go! Let me go!"

"Where do you think you're going?" Cyborg asked.

Punching Cyborg's chest with her sweaty hands in an attempt to make him release her, Raven stuttered, "I—I have to go! I have to go see Beast Boy!"

"Raven!"

"I—I promised him. I promised him I'd tell him something. I prom—I have to go before—before it's too late! I—I can't see his face. I can't remember his face, Cyborg. Why can't I remember his face?" she cried as she collapsed in his arms.

That day, all classes were excused to give a day of silence in respect for Beast Boy. That day, the football field was silent and the classrooms were still. That day, the Choonchun Trail had no visitors and the footsteps that Beast Boy and Raven had left behind disappeared, concealed by the snow from the previous night. That day, the two snowmen they had created were now deformed piles of snow and sticks. That day, the sky was gray and no snow fell, and even the birds were silent—as if they sensed the sadness in the air. That day, the Young Superheroes' Academy was completely empty with no form of life inside its walls except for a small white rose—Beast Boy's favorite flower—placed on his desk in respectful memory of him.

Beast Boy had told his teammates that it was Logan tradition for their bodies to be burned and for no one to see the body before or during the funeral. As such, in respect for Logan family tradition, Beast Boy's body was burned in a casket so that no one could see his body being destroyed. No one could see his body at all.

During the ceremony, Raven watched as the casket was lighted and a small flame began to spread around the casket covering Beast Boy's body. As the flurry of dancing flames flashed in her eyes, her memories of Beast Boy flashed in her mind. She remembered when they first met many years ago, rescuing Starfire from the Gordonians. She remembered becoming a Teen Titan and slowly, but surely warming up to Beast Boy. She remembered the time he and Cyborg entered her mind and helped her suppress Trigon. She remembered when he had transformed into a destructive monster and saved her life. She remembered his smile, his beautiful, beautiful smile. Another image flashed in her mind—that of her and an illusion of Beast Boy kissing in her room for the first time. She then thought of when he had first showed her the song _Lover's Tears_ in the music store. And then when he had asked her out and she tearfully declined. Another image came—one of her in her white dress and him in his green suit in Azarath. He was nearly unrecognizable in such a handsome Azarathean suit. Then she remembered how she and Beast Boy fought off Seymour's forces and escaped back to Earth. Then she remembered their kiss in the forest. Raven then thought of how she transformed into Paen and Beast Boy helped save her from Paen and the Void. Finally, Raven remembered how Beast Boy saved her from the people who had kidnapped her. She remembered how closely he had hugged her and what he had whispered in her ears. _"Don't cry, _he had told her._ "You gotta be strong, alright? Be strong for me."_ She remembered she had promised Beast Boy that she wouldn't cry, that she'd be strong for him._ "I won't cry. I'll be strong. I promise."_

And so she didn't cry. Even now, as Beast Boy's body went up in flames, she didn't cry. She had to be strong. Throughout the entire funeral, she didn't cry. As the Titans each gave him a little speech, she didn't cry. Even though all others were in tears, Raven didn't cry. Even as a grief-ridden Terra yelled at her after the funeral, "Raven, how could you just stand there like nothing happened? He died going out to meet you! Doesn't he mean anything to you?" Raven didn't cry. Even as Terra was silenced and comforted by Starfire, Raven didn't cry. Even during the car ride home to their apartments, Raven didn't shed a single tear.

At that moment she remembered it all. Even the tiny details, she remembered so clearly. "Beast Boy," she whispered in her mind. "You're far away now, in a place I can't reach. Will I ever meet you again? I'll confess to you now. I love you. I want to love you forever… but now it's too late."

As she sat in the car and stared up at the night sky, Raven thought she could almost see Beast Boy's face, Beast Boy's smiles in the stars. And she didn't cry, no matter how hard it was. Looking down at the streets, Raven saw many Beast Boys walking down the sidewalks with Ravens next to them. All the Beast Boys were laughing and smiling as well as the Ravens. How happy they were! Filled with laughter and joy were those boys of green and girls in blue. And Raven didn't shed a single tear.

Arriving at the apartments, Raven and Cyborg stepped out of the car. Robin was already inside the boys' apartment, and Starfire and Terra, knowing Raven would want to be alone tonight, decided to stay at a hotel for the night. The two friends walked up the stairs towards their apartments in silence. Reaching their respective doors, Cyborg asked Raven, "Hey, you gonna be alright?" Attempting a smile, Raven nodded in return. Sighing, he continued, "To be honest, I kinda wish you were crying right now, so that I could tell you… everything's gonna be alright… somehow."

Smiling, Raven replied, "Thanks, Cyborg. Goodnight."

"Wait," he said, stopping her. "What I said, that night, on Christmas… I meant it."

Looking away from him, Raven was silent, then opened the door to her apartment and quietly walked inside. Throwing off her shoes, the girl trudged aimlessly around her apartment, eventually making her way towards the restroom. Rolling up her sleeves, Raven turned on the faucet and splashed her face with the coldest water possible. "Wake up, wake up, Raven," she mumbled as she splashed water onto her face. "Wake up, please. This is all a dream. All… a dream. It's all just a dream." Rubbing water on her eyes and slapping her face in a vain effort to wake herself up, Raven eventually gave up and, staring the window onto the moon-filled sky, came to full realization for the first time all day that this was not a dream.

Wiping her soaked face and arms with a towel, Raven slowly walked into her bedroom. Throwing her towel carelessly onto the bed, Raven noticed a small package on her desk. Switching on her desk lamp to get a better view of it, she saw that it was a small square item wrapped in brown paper with her address and apartment number written on one side. Curious, Raven unwrapped the package to reveal a blank CD case. She hesitated. Why would someone send her a CD? And more importantly, why didn't it say who it was from? She then removed the CD and inserted it into the CD player on her desk. Holding her breath in strange curiosity of what was going to happen, she pressed 'Play'.

She could faintly hear some piano music; it was slow, yet soothing. And a little sad. Then came the words, emerging from a voice as smooth as silk but as sweet as honey. Raven gasped ever so slightly, then lost herself within the song as the words spoke to her and her alone. She could feel the world melting away, leaving behind nothing but her and those words like an angel's prayer.

"_I know now that you're gone, I'll be alone._

_Alone with memories, my very own._

_Maybe someday you will return to me, my love._

_But through the lonely years,_

_I'll cry these lover's tears."_

Exactly what Raven was feeling that particular moment as she sat at her desk with her bloody red eyes, I'll never know. Perhaps it was shock as the CD turned out to be the song that Beast Boy had shown her. Perhaps it was wonder at how this CD came to her possession. Perhaps it was longing, as now Raven desperately wished for Beast Boy to be there with her. Or perhaps it was sadness, as these melancholic words now had a new meaning for her.

"_I think of all the joy I used to know,_

_But now this happiness we share no more._

_I long for your embrace, your tender kiss—a moment of bliss._

_But for now I'll have to cry_

_These lover's tears."_

Though her eyes were red, though she felt her tears begin to emerge, Raven knew she couldn't cry. She had promised him she wouldn't cry. And so she wouldn't. She'd never cry again. She hadn't shed a single tear today, she wouldn't start now. She'd never cry again.

"_Come back to me once more my love_

_And please never leave me again._

_Until that day, I'll wait for you._

'_Til then my love, I know I'll never be the same_

_Wherever you may be, please hear this plea,_

_Come back and end these tears of misery_

_I long for your embrace, your tender kiss—a moment of bliss,_

_So through the lonely years_

_I'll cry these lover's tears._

_And until my love returns,_

_I'll cry these lover's tears."_

And then, as the song came to an end, Raven still hasn't shed a single tear. She can't cry. She had to be strong for Beast Boy. Though her eyes hurt and her heart ached, she held back her tears. She had to be strong. But then, she heard something—something that made her gasp in shock and made her heart shake and her fingers twitch and her lips tremble and her eyes quiver in fear. She heard the sound of Beast Boy's laughter. She heard him chuckle and—even more horrendous—exclaim, "Surprise!"

"Beast Boy?" she cried as she turned around. But there was no one there. Only a closed door and empty space. Turning back, she realized that it was just a recording from the CD. "This is a belated Christmas present for you," the recording in the CD continued. "I wish you a life of happiness and joy. I can't wait to meet you tonight for New Year's, Raven. Merry Christmas!"

As the CD finished playing, Raven felt the tears in her eyes begin to overflow. She had promised him that she wouldn't cry, but hearing his voice forced the tears out of her, breaking the dam that was holding her tears back. It seems like this was one promise she had to break. Letting go of everything, Raven's eyes began to overflow with tears. She felt her fingers quiver in the cold air and her lips began to tremble. Tears slid down her eyes, over her trembling lips and cheeks and accumulated to one point at the bottom of her chin where it dropped off, splashing onto her desk underneath. As the tears flowed from her eyes, Raven felt her heart pound against her chest, struggling to explode, and she felt her throat become clogged. Gasping for breath, Raven lost all feeling in every muscle and every fiber in her body. Clutching her fists in a vain attempt to contain her quivering fingers, her entire arms began to shake. With the tears running down her cheek, Raven gasped for breath, and when she couldn't gasp any longer, she dropped her face into her arms. And she wept and cried and sobbed for Beast Boy was dead.

**End Part I**

~Memories in my Heart~


	6. A Ghost in the Snow x Earth

**Part 2**

– **Ten Years Later –**

"Hey, where is she?" a man in a black suit asked. "It's 7:00 already."

"She's up on the radio tower, connecting her telepathic powers to the radio waves or somethin'," another answered. "A bunch of mumbo-jumbo I can't understand."

"Well tell her to get down," the first man said. "I'm starving!"

"Fine," the second man said, proceeding to shout at the top of his lungs, "Rachel! We're done! Let's eat!"

"She's not coming down—wait, is that her? What's she doing? Is she gonna jump? What the—"

The first man jumped back, startled, as a figure in a dark blue cloak landed expertly from a hundred foot drop in front of him. The woman smiled as she flipped her shoulder length hair back and walked past them towards the truck.

Laughing as he followed her, the first man whispered to the other, "That girl is _fearless_."

Indeed, this woman was fearless, very different from the young girl she was ten years ago. In fact, many things were very different now. It's been ten years since Beast Boy's death, and much has changed since. The five Teen Titans, about a year after the death of their teammate, moved back to New York City and became the Titans, leaving the Jump City base to a new, younger team. After fighting crime for a few years together, they eventually disbanded, but still remained close friends. Robin was now Dick Grayson, Captain of the New York Police Department by day, and Nightwing, crime-fighting superhero by night. Starfire is now Koriand'r, a secretary. Cyborg became Victor Stone, a scientist in Wayne Industries who specializes in nanorobotics. Terra became Tara Markoff and started out as a singer. After saving up money from her paychecks—and from financial support from the other Titans—Tara went to France to study abroad to pursue her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Raven was now Rachel Roth—an interplanetary paranormal investigator, an easy job when combined with her superpowers. She worked in a secret government program called Polaris, and was partnered with two men: John Prower and Lee Desmeron. Under her insistence, everybody now—including the Titans—refers to her only as 'Rachel', as she wanted Beast Boy to be the last person to have called her 'Raven.'

Raven and the two men that were with her drove to New York City, where they had dinner at a restaurant. As they ate, John Prower started, "Ok, guys, I've received word from our bosses. And as much as I don't want to say this, I'll just be very frank with it. This mission was our last one."

"What?" came the replies.

"They're separating us now. Or at least, they're separating Rachel from us. The higher-ups need Rachel for some kind of confidential mission. It's really important, so they can't risk anything. Meaning they want her with one of the best agents they've got."

"What do you mean, John?" Raven asked the man.

"What I mean is… Rach, you're not in our squad anymore. They want you to work on a highly confidential mission and they're partnering you up with one of the top agents to ensure success."

"But why me? Why does it have to be me?"

"They specially picked you for the mission, Rach, because… it involves Azarath."

Hearing the name of her homeworld, Raven immediately gave John her full attention. "Azarath?"

"Yes. Have you communicated with anyone from your world recently?"

"No. Communications were cut off. I've received a letter years ago saying that the teleportation magic between Earth and Azarath has been disconnected upon order of High Lady Azar—Azarath's ruler, that is."

"Hmm," John replied grimly. "Well the truth is… your world was invaded ten years ago by a group known as… the Taboo, was it? Are you familiar with them?"

"Why, yes. I know of them. But they're supposed to be dead!"

"Well it seems like they aren't. There is a small rebel group in Azarath fighting against the Taboo. They've managed to send Polaris a message requesting help, especially from you." John reached inside his pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Inside is the message and orders from our bosses."

"Thanks, John," said Raven, stuffing the envelope into her cloak. "Have you heard anything about my new partner?"

"Whoa, there. Don't act _too_ excited to leave us! I forgot his name exactly. But he must be very skilled. Interesting background, too. I heard he was born and raised in France. But his parents were from America so he speaks English very fluently. As if he was born here, too."

"Alright. I've got to go now guys."

"Oy!" Lee said. "You on a diet or somethin'? We just started eating!"

"Oh right, sorry. There's someplace I have to be. My friends are getting married soon and the practice dinner is tonight. Oh!—that reminds me." Reaching into her cloak, Raven pulled out two golden envelopes and handed one to each of her partners. Both envelopes read, "You are cordially invited to the Holy Matrimony of Dick and Koriand'r Grayson. December 22."

"December 22?" Lee exclaimed. "That's tomorrow! Talk about late notice…"

Chuckling, Raven left the restaurant and wrapped her cloak closer to her body as she felt the cold air. Hearing her phone ring, she pulled it out and answered it, "Hello?"

"Hey, Rachel," she heard Cyborg's voice say. "Where are you? The practice dinner's gonna start in fifteen minutes."

"I'm on my way," she replied as she started walking down the street. "If I'm late, just go on without me. I'll know what to do tomorrow."

"Okay then. But try not to be late, alright?"

"I won't."

Raven felt something cold and wet touch her nose. Crap, was it raining? Walking down the street and looking up at the night sky, Raven saw no rain. But she did see fluffy white snow. Instantly smiling, Raven stretched open her arms as if she was going to catch all the snow that was falling. "The first snowfall of the year," Raven said.

"What'd you say?" asked Cyborg.

Forgetting that she was still talking to him, Raven answered, "Oh, I said it's snowing."

"Really? Cool."

Making her way through the crowds of New York, Raven's eyes did not break contact with the snow in the sky. "Hmm," she wondered aloud. "Do I look weird staring at the sky like this?"

"Yes, Rach, you do," Cyborg joked. "Now quit it before people stare at you like an idiot!"

Looking around the crowd, she saw an elderly man staring up at the sky, as well. "There's another man looking up at the sky, too," she said. "See? I'm not so weird. Other people are doing it." Glancing around, she saw a little girl trying to catch snow in her mouth, and young woman nudging her boyfriend and pointing towards the sky, and a little dog barking at the white snow floating down.

Looking down at the street she was walking on, Raven saw another man just a few feet in front of her, walking in her direction and staring at the sky, as well. She could tell he was as awestruck by the snow as she was because his smile was so big. And so beautiful. Strange how beautiful a smile could be, and Raven swore she'd never seen a smile as beautiful as that man just a few feet in front of her. She'd never seen such a beautifully wide and happy smile as this man's before. Well, except for Beast Boy's. But then again, this man's and Beast Boy's smiles were similar. Strange, why did he seem so familiar? Who does he resemble? Cyborg? No, this man's face was smaller. Raphael? No, this man's eyes were too big to resemble Raphael. Jericho? Robin? Seymour? Control Freak? Johnny Rancid? The Puppet King? No, none of them resemble this man the least bit. But why did he look so familiar? Aqualad? No, this man's ears were too pointy. Okay, who does she know that has pointy ears? Oh!—that's it! That man resembled—

Slowly, Raven's eyes widened and her heart started to pump faster. Opening her mouth in shock, she carelessly let go of her phone and let it drop onto the ground. No, it can't be, she thought. That man—he resembled… No, it wasn't resemblance. That man was too perfectly like… Those ears, those eyes, that nose, that beautiful smile… They were just like… That man was him! He was! It's impossible, but Raven was sure it was him. That man was—

Raven whispered in the cold air, "… Beast Boy."

~Memories in my Heart~


	7. The Paths That Cross x Earth

**Up until now, I've been fairly consistent with my weekly updates. Unfortunately, I couldn't update last week. My beloved cousin had passed away and I had to attend his funeral (ironic, huh?). Sorry for leaving you guys hanging with the cliffhanger from the last chapter for so long! Here it is:**

* * *

Is there such thing as "love at first sight"? The idea the one could be caught in the immense abyss that is love instantaneously upon setting eyes on another is a highly controversial one. Wouldn't that be, then, a false kind of love? As Friar Lawrence from Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_ said, "Young men's love then lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes." Raven, herself did not believe in that kind of rubbish either.

But what of "sight at first love", for that was certainly what Raven was experiencing at this very instant.

And as Raven stared in front of her at the man, she couldn't believe that it was truly Beast Boy. And yet… it was. "No, it can't be," Raven thought. "Beast Boy was… gone. How could he be here now?" And yet… he was. "But no," Raven insisted. "This man is different. He has white skin like Robin, not green skin like Beast Boy. And this man's hair, while similar to Beast Boy's, was dyed dark red. There was no speck of green on that man's body at all—except for his eyes. Staring closely at his eyes, a difficult task as they were far away, Raven could dimly see two pairs of green eyes. Those eyes…

And she knew it had to be Beast Boy. Somehow, something deep inside her was telling her—was screaming to her—that this man was Beast Boy.

Running towards the man, Raven completely forgot about the phone that she had dropped—the phone from which Cyborg's voice could be heard calling, "Rachel. Rach! Are you there?"

But she didn't hear him—nor did she care. Running through the crowd closer to the man, she saw him turn a corner and walk into a flock of people. Hastily following him, she tried her best not to break sight of him. He was far ahead of her now, and Raven had to push her way through a large group of people just to keep sight of him. No!—where did he go? Where was he? There! As Beast Boy turned a corner, Raven ran after him. She chased after him with all her might, desperate not to lose sight of him. She opened her mouth and tried to call out, "Beast Boy!" but could not hear any sound escape her lips. Either the noises of New York were too loud and drowned out her call or her throat was too hoarse with shock. Despite this, she still tried calling out to him in hopes that somehow he would hear her. Pushing aside a couple people, she continued running after Beast Boy, frantically trying to catch up to him. She didn't know how long she chased after him; it seemed like an eternity. She didn't know how many times she had lost sight of him, either, and each time she did so she felt her heart beat double in pace. Gradually though, she came to a stop as she broke sight of him. "Where is he now?" she thought. "He was just here! Where did he… go…?" Standing on the tips of her toes in a vain attempt to see above the crowd, turning around thinking he might have taken a small U-turn, searching through the crowd for him, Raven could not find him.

Panting and coughing, she whispered quietly to herself, "Was he… even there? Was I just hallucinating?" Looking up towards the snowy sky, Raven murmured, "Beast Boy…"

…

Cyborg frantically tapped his finger on the table as Robin and Starfire practiced their speeches. His other hand was busy dialing on his phone. "Come on, Rachel, pick up. Where are you?" Hearing her voicemail prompted him to end his sixth call and stuff his phone into his pocket. Why didn't she pick up? Was something wrong, Cyborg thought. Did something happen to her? No, it can't be. She's alright. She's gonna be alright. She'll be here any second now. Then why wasn't she here _now_?

Hearing the few people that were there applaud, Cyborg proceeded to do the same. As Robin and Starfire sat down next to him, the latter asked, "Rachel is still not answering?"

"Nope," the robotic man answered.

"Do you think," she wondered aloud. "Do you think she is alright? Maybe something has happened to—"

"She's fine!" Cyborg snapped. "She'll be here."

"I sure hope so," Robin said. "Oh, and have you heard from Terra yet?"

"Yeah, she said her plane's arriving late tonight. She says she can make it to the wedding tomorrow."

"How wonderful!" the Tamaranian remarked.

"She mentioned she had a surprise, too," he added.

"Hmm, she's probably bringing that guy she's been dating for a while," Robin said.

"What was his name again?" Cyborg said. "Jeremy something? I remem—Rachel!"

The three friends stood up as they saw Raven standing at the door, drenched from head to toe from melting snow. Her eyes were in a daze and she seemed very weary.

"What—what happened?" Robin asked.

Glancing at her friends, Raven struggled to find words and mumbled, "I—I don't really… know…" Slowly walking towards them, her legs wobbled and she collapsed in a chair.

"Rachel!" Starfire exclaimed. Kneeling down and feeling her friend's forehead, she whispered, "Are you alright?"

As the woman examined her friend, the two men glanced at each other and Cyborg suggested, "I think I'd better take her home, guys." As the other two nodded, the man swooped down and picked up Raven, holding her in his large arms and carrying her out of the building. Reaching his car, he gently laid her down onto the passenger seat and climbed into the driver's seat. Starting his car, Cyborg glanced over towards Raven's closed eyes and smiled. How beautiful she looked as she slept, he thought.

Cyborg drove the car around New York City and eventually came to their apartment—the same ones they've owned for the last ten years. Though the Titans certainly could've afforded a house by now, it seemed odd to leave the apartments that they've lived in for so long. And since both apartments were large and cozy, it seemed like a waste to search for another set of apartments.

The man, with such large, robotic arms, carried the woman with ease. Up the stairs the two went and down the halls they traversed. Walking into the girls' apartment, Cyborg made his way into Raven's bedroom and laid her gently onto the bed. Taking off her wet jackets, he prepared to leave, but was tempted as he glanced back at her sleeping body. Silently, he walked towards her, bent down, and gave her a tiny, barely noticeable kiss on her forehead. As he did so, he ran his hand against the pocket of his pants and felt a small box inside. Smiling, he left the room and gently closed the door behind him.

…

The wedding of Robin and Starfire was wonderful, to say the very least. I could write about exactly what happened, exactly what the two lovers said as they proclaimed their love for each other and kissed at the altar, pronounced husband and wife. I could go on and on about every detail of their wedding with the dress Starfire wore and the design of the chapel they married in and the rose petals that fell from the ceiling as they kissed. I could tell about their guests, which included some of Starfire's closest friends from her planet and a certain man from Robin's past who was once like his father: the famous Bruce Wayne. I could reveal every single thing about their amazing reception, including what band played, what songs were sung, and what flavor cake they had—though I will say it was very, very delicious. I could, and I would—that is, if this was a story about Robin and Starfire. Unfortunately, though, it is not. This is a story about Raven and Beast Boy, as I'm sure you know, and so as much as I would love to go on and on about Robin and Starfire's wedding, that part of the story does not pertain to the main characters. Therefore, I will skip forward in time to the next significant moment of Raven's story, which is coincidentally during the reception of Robin and Starfire's wedding.

The five Titans—Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, and Terra—all sat at one table, conversing with each other like the close friends they were. All was normal, until Terra received a phone call just as she finished telling them about the new fashion boutique she was opening in a few weeks. "Hello?" she answered. "You're here? Great!" Ending her call, she excused herself, saying, "Don't go anywhere, guys. I've got a surprise for you!" As she left, the four remaining Titans smiled at each other. They had a pretty good idea what the surprise was—or rather, who the surprise was.

Moments later, they all heard Terra's voice once more. "Guys," she said. "I want you to meet my boyfriend, Jeremy Rousseau." Surprise confirmed, they all thought. If only they knew how wrong they were, for as they turned around to see Terra's boyfriend, all were in shock as if struck by lightning.

For there he was, Jeremy Rousseau, a man nearly Robin's height, with creamy white skin and dark red hair, a small nose, small pointy ears, bright green eyes, and a smile as wide as the moon—a man who eerily bore an exact resemblance to a friend they had all said goodbye to ten years before.

Raven was especially stunned, as she recognized him as the same man whom she had chased in the streets the day before.

"Hello," he greeted them all. "Terra's told me a lot about all of you. It's a pleasure to meet you all at last."

The four Titans were too stunned to reply. Sensing the tension, Jeremy continued, hoping to ignite a conversation. "Congratulations to you two, Robin and Starfire. I wish you both a wonderful life together!" Still hearing no replies, other than small nods from the two he had addressed, he turned his attention towards the other two. "You two must be Cyborg and Rachel, am I right? I've heard you two have been dating each other for quite a while now. You two look beautiful together. I wish the best for your relationship." Cyborg politely thanked him while Raven sat still, avoiding eye contact with the man.

Hiding his disappointment, Jeremy said, "Well, I'd love to stay, but I unfortunately have to go. I have a new job here in America and I need to get adjusted to my new apartment. Goodbye, everyone. It's been a pleasure meeting you all!" Waving goodbye with a wide grin, the man walked away.

Smiling, Terra said before rushing after him, "Isn't he great? Doesn't he look like… like _him_? I was surprised, too when I first saw him."

Terra walked out of the reception hall and saw Jeremy motioning her into his car. She happily followed. As she sat inside and buckled her seat belt, she heard him say, "Well that was interesting."

"Yeah," she replied. "They're great people once you get to know them."

"Hmm, I kind of got the feeling that they didn't really like me, though," Jeremy thoughtfully.

"Uh…" Terra stammered. "They're—they're probably surprised I could get such a handsome man like you," she said quickly.

He chuckled back, "How's that possible? You've never had a boyfriend like me before?"

Hearing these words, Terra quickly turned her face towards him, as if in fear or shock. Glancing away, she replied under her breath, "Once I did."

"What?" he asked, not hearing her.

"Oh? Nothing. You want to check out your apartment now? Let's go," she hurriedly said.

As they drove off, Cyborg was inside the reception hall sitting with Raven and feeling a small box in his pocket.

"So Rachel," he started. "That Jeremy guy… Interesting, huh?"

"What?" she said back, not paying attention. "Oh, yeah."

"Y'know, what he said made me think. We _do_ look beautiful together, don't we?"

Smiling, she said, "We do."

"And he's right, we _have_ been dating for a long time, haven't we?"

"Yeah. Seven years now, right?"

"Wow, seven years already!" he joked. Picking up a glass of wine, he said jokingly, "Well cheers for us on our seven year anniversary!"

She scoffed back, "Our seven year anniversary was months ago, dumb-butt!"

"Well, then," said Cyborg, pouring her a glass of water, "Cheers for us on our seven year and a half and… and nine days anniversary!"

Laughing, Raven picked up her glass and rapped it against Cyborg's. As she gulped down her water, she didn't notice Cyborg take out a small, open box from his pocket and lay it on the table before her. Placing down her now empty glass, Raven's eyes casually glanced over to the box.

Her eyes widened, her jaws dropped, and she stared at the beaming Cyborg in shock as she saw the diamond ring inside.

…

The accountant picked up the ringing phone by her desk and politely answered, "Polaris, how my I help you? Oh, yes? Yes? Yes, we'll schedule an appointment for you. How do you spell that, sir? Yes, sir. Yes, thank you. Have a nice day." Slamming her phone down, she rubbed her temples and groaned, "I hate work…" Picking up the phone again and dialing one of her assistants, she said, "Lauren, could you schedule an appointment on the 18th for a Mr. Min Young from Marcian Industries? Thanks, hon." Again placing her phone back on its base, she turned her attention back to the woman who stood before her. "I'm sorry about that, ma'am. How may I help you?"

"My name is Rachel Roth," the woman answered. "I'm supposed to meet my new partner here? I'm on the Azarath Case."

"Ah, I see. Let me check to find you… Ah! Here you are. His office is at room B11."

"Thank you," Raven replied as she walked towards the elevator. Entering the elevator and pressing the 'B' button, she noticed her ring on her left ring finger. Smiling slightly, she shoved her hand into her pocket and waited as the elevator lifted her up. Reaching the B Floor, she casually walked out and tried to find room 11. Along the way, she tried to imagine what kind of man her new partner will be. He's a French man, and that says a lot. Fortunately, she has the magical shield that repels all bachelors—her engagement ring—so she'd have to problem fending off a potentially flirtatious French man. Maybe he'd be tall. Raven didn't need him to be handsome, but preferably not ugly. At least he's well skilled as an agent. Raven heard he has superpowers as well. Hopefully he's telekinetic like her. Over the years, she's found that she works better when her partners share similar powers to hers.

Ah, here it is, she said to herself as she found B11. Knocking on the door and hearing no replies, Raven correctly assumed it was empty and let herself in. She looked around the room and saw it was mostly empty; he was undoubtedly still settling into his new office. So far, there was only a desk, chair, laptop, a couple empty bookcases, and a painting on the wall. Walking towards the glass wall behind the desk, Raven looked out and stared in awe at the beautiful view of the ocean.

Then she heard behind her two distinct knocks on the open door. Startled, she turned around to see her new partner at the door—a man with creamy white skin and dark red hair, staring at her with bright green eyes and a smile as bright as the setting sun—a man she had once chased in the streets—a man who eerily resembled her lost love—a man who called himself Jeremy Rousseau.

~Memories in my Heart~


	8. The Man That Can't Be Beast Boy x Earth

**I feel compelled to warn you that, despite its length, this chapter is really not all that interesting. With that in mind, don't read it expecting major plot twists. It's a filler if anything. In fact, I was tempted to just merge it in with the next chapter, but decided not to due to the sheer length of the combined chapters. So bare with me and read this chapter and I promise you I'll have more interesting ones later on.**

* * *

Raven stared at the man fearfully, her mouth agape with shock. The man replied only with a smile. "Haven't we met?" said he with a chuckle. "You're Rachel, aren't you? Terra's friend, right?" In response, Raven turned her body towards the man and merely nodded. Walking towards his desk, Jeremy beckoned her towards the seat in front of him. Slowly, silently, she walked towards the chair and sat down, avoiding eye contact with him.

"It's such a strange coincidence that we're working together, isn't it?" he started. "I heard from Terra that you were working in some kind of government program, but I had no idea it was the same one I worked in. How wonderful! Now we really will get to know each other, won't we?" Raven was silent, and replied with a nod. "Umm," Jeremy said, "Okay, I guess I'll start. I'm a shape shifter, first of all."

Hearing this prompted Raven to look up at him. "What?" she asked. "What did you say?"

"I'm… a shape shifter," he replied. "I can change into animals. Any kind of animal there is, I can change into."

"Do—," Raven said frantically, leaning towards him in curiosity. "Do you change colors? When you change into an animal, I mean. Do you change into a specific color? Can you talk when you're in animal form? Can you?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said, laughing. "Easy there. No, I turn into whatever color that animal naturally is. I mean, I can't really pretend to be a normal animal if others see a red dog, right? And yes, I can talk when I'm an animal. Why do you ask?"

"Oh," said Raven, disappointedly sinking back into her chair. "No reason…"

"Tell me about you then," said he. "What kind of powers do you have?"

"…I'm telekinetic," she replied quietly.

"Ah, nice! I've never worked with one, before. This should be interesting. We could use powers like that. Now I heard you were from the planet we are investigating, Azarath." Taking out a small folder from a drawer, Jeremy searched through its contents. As he did so, Raven couldn't help but lift her head and curiously stare at his face. It looked like Beast Boy's so much! His hair was almost exactly the same, though Jeremy's was longer and dyed dark red. Their ears were very similar, though Jeremy's was a bit less of a point. Their nose was the same, their lips, their chins—all were the same. Their eyes, both such a deep, beautiful green, like a plant sprouting or an ocean of green water. And their smile—so alike, so beautiful. Beast Boy's smile was like the setting sun and Jeremy's smile was like—was like the rising moon. The man kept talking and talking, but Raven wasn't listening. Rather, she was just staring at him in wonder of how much he resembled Beast Boy. How could two people look so similar? Was it possible? It couldn't just be a coincidence, right? Was this man… was he truly Jeremy Rousseau? Or perhaps… perhaps he was… Beast Boy?

Looking up from his file to see Raven staring at him, he chuckled and said, "Do you always stare at your partners like that?" Turning his attention back to his file, he casually glanced back up and Raven and was shocked to see her eyes start to water. Concerned, he placed down the file and asked, "Are you okay? You're…"

Suddenly, Raven jumped out of her chair, grabbed her bag, and hurriedly ran out of the room, throwing a small "I'm sorry" back to Jeremy. Jeremy stood in shock and confusion as he saw his partner run down the hall and walk into an elevator. "Wait!" he cried. "Was it… something I said?" he asked himself and started after her.

Making his way down the hall and riding the elevator towards the first floor, he walked out to find Raven a stone's throw away from him talking to a secretary. Using his animalistic powers—as years of transforming into various animals with keener senses than humans allowed human to use these senses while in human form—Jeremy listened in on their conversation.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Roth, but I can't," he heard the secretary say.

"But you don't understand," he then heard Raven say. "I can't work with him. I just can't. I can't do this case, I'm sorry."

"Ms. Roth, you were specially placed on this case as it concerned your home world. In fact, the people who sent the request specifically mentioned you. You must work on this case."

"Then give me another partner, please! You don't understand, I can't work with him!"

"Ms. Roth, Mr. Rousseau is one of the best agents in Polaris. He is specially trained and has proven his worth dozens of times. Unless you provide a legitimate reason why you simply cannot work with Mr. Rousseau, I'm sorry, but I can't do anything. Do you have a reason?"

Dropping her head, she replied, "…No."

A shocked and hurt Jeremy then saw her walked towards the exit of the building. Frowning, he wondered what he had done to make her act like that.

…

A man—possibly in his late twenties, but no more past thirty—walked down the hallway of the Azarathean Castle. He wore a black jacket that had in image of a winged skull on its back, black pants, a black belt with a silver buckle, and black gloves and boots with silver-white lining—the uniform of the Taboo. He had his hands stuffed in his pocket and hummed a merry tune as he walked down the halls. Upon reaching a door, he raised his gloved hand and rapped on it three times. Smiling as he heard an unceremonious groan emerge from the other side of the door, he deduced that the woman on the other side had just woken up. He said casually, "Meeting in ten minutes," and was replied by a loud and irritated, "Crap…"

Leaning against the door, he continued, "You know you can't skip meetings. Mr. Conductor's not gonna be too happy, y'know?"

"Tell them," came the drowsy reply. "Tell them I'm sick or… dead or something."

He scoffed in return. "Like they'll believe that."

"Tell them I've—I've fallen and I can't get up. I was attacked by a giant mutant teddy bear or something."

Waiting awhile, the man called her again to make sure she was still awake, "Monica?"

"Go away, Don."

"Hmph. Monica. Mon, come on get up."

The Taboo named Don opened the door to the chambers where the Taboo named Monica slept. Entering and closing the door behind him, he turned around and promptly ducked, narrowly avoiding a lamp to the face. "Now, is that very lady-like?" he asked sarcastically as he got back up. Approaching the bed, he pulled the blankets away to reveal a woman in a black jacket with short, blonde hair. "Awaken, my sleeping beauty," he greeted.

"God, you're annoying," the woman said as she got off her bed.

…

"What? Starfire lost her job?" Raven exclaimed, clutching her phone towards her ear as she rode the elevator up to Jeremy Rousseau's office in the Polaris Headquarters. "That's terrible!"

"No, no, it's alright," she heard Cyborg say on the other end of the phone call. "Remember that boutique Terra was opening? It's gonna open in a few days and she offered Star a job as head assistant."

"Oh well that's good," she said as she left the elevator and walked down the hall. "Okay, I'm gonna have to talk to you later. I'm about to go into Jeremy's office right now."

After a brief period of silence, she heard Cyborg say, "Okay, bye Rach," and hang up. Dropping her phone into her bag, she slowly took a deep breath as she placed her hand on the doorknob to Jeremy's office. She had lost control of her feelings and started crying last night. She won't let that happen again. She must act professionally. "Remember your meditations," she said to herself. "Peace, calm, tranquility. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." And with this, she opened the door and walked inside.

At once, she saw the distinct figure of Jeremy Rousseau—who looked so much like a certain green boy she once knew—at his desk scribbling down some notes. Hearing her enter, he glanced up and gave her a small smile. "Hey!"

She attempted to smile back and walked over towards him, sitting down on the seat in front of him. She saw him scratch his head nervously and say, "Hey look, about last time, if I said or did anything to offend you, I'm—"

"Oh no!" she interrupted. "It was all my fault, completely. I don't know what came over me."

"No, let me finish," he said. "Please, if I ever offend you in any way from now on, please tell me. I want this partnership to work great, alright?"

Raven's eyes widened ever so suddenly as she had a sudden flashback of a conversation between her and Beast Boy several years ago.

"_Starfire, I told you to—" started Raven, who stopped once she realized who her visitor was. "Oh… it's you." Raven walked towards the door where Beast Boy stood. The boy stammered, "Umm… Look, Raven. I'm sorry."_

"_Oh no, I'm sorry," she interrupted. "It was my fault; I should've been more—"_

"_No, let me finish." The boy continued speaking. Raven stared at him as he spoke._

Raven stared at the man. How was it possible that he and Beast Boy were so similar? Was maybe… Was he…? No, that's impossible. Ridiculous! And with that, Raven shrugged the thought away. For the moment, at least.

"Okay," Jeremy said at once, clapping his hands together. "Today we're going directly into the scene. Someone from the resistance group against the Taboo is going to arrive here, transport us to Azarath, and escort us to their secret base. I trust you've brought your supplies?" Raven nodded, causing him to exclaim, "Great! Now the man who's coming is named Raphael. Said to be a close friend of yours, is that correct?"

"Yes, childhood friends."

"Great. Now all we have to do is wait."

And so they waited in silence, the woman named Raven in her violet-blue leotard and the man named Jeremy in a red sweater and jeans. And as they waited, Raven couldn't help but make occasional glances at his face, each time noting how similar he was to Beast Boy. She stared at the man in deep fascination. It seemed that he became more and more like Beast Boy every time she looked at him. Slowly, she became more and more curious on the possibility that this man might be, somehow, Beast Boy. Eventually, the curiosity got better of her and—though she tried to restrain herself—she asked him, "Je—Jeremy?"  
"Hmm?" he replied.

"Yo—You said you're from France, right? How long did you live there, exactly?"

"Ever since I was born," came the answer.

Half-expecting another answer and slightly disappointed by this one, Raven muttered under her breath, "Ever since you were born, huh?" Raising her head, she said, "And yet you speak English perfectly."

Jeremy answered her, "My parents were from America. English was actually the first language I learned. I learned French around the time I was four, I think. Now I speak both languages fluently."

"Oh." Raven sunk back into her chair, wondering what to do now. How could this man possibly be Beast Boy? He seemed to be in his late twenties—around the age Beast Boy would be if had was still alive—and says he was born and raised in France. He couldn't possibly be Beast Boy, right? Suddenly, an idea struck her. She was tempted by it so, but her logic and reason compelled her to stop, to not ask him. Vainly trying to restrain herself, she gave up and said to him. "Just one more thing."

"Yes?" he said in reply.

"You'll probably think I'm really weird for asking such a strange question," she said. "But could you tell me something?"

"Sure, anything."

"Umm…" she started. "What's—What's your favorite color?"

"He's here!" Jeremy said, jumping out of his seat and not hearing her question as a bright light flashed in the middle of the office. Raven hung her head in disappointment, but quickly lifted it back up in anticipation. A smile started to form on her face; it's been a long time since she'd seen Raphael. As the light started to fade, however, she was surprised to see a different man emerge from the light. The man calmly looked at Jeremy, then at her, and said with a soft voice, "My name is Sanae Kang. I will be escorting you to Azarath."

Raven looked at Jeremy, who seemed to be as surprised as she was. "Um, we were expecting a man named Raphael," he said.

The other man shook his head. "There's been a slight change of plans. I am the leader of the Taboo resistance faction and I felt it best that I should escort you two myself. I hope that will not be a problem, Miss…" he cleared his throat, "Rachel…"

Furrowing her eyebrows, she slowly nodded.

"Then come closer," the man named Sanae said to them. The two followed his orders. Sanae then closed his eyes and muttered a few spells under his breath. Jeremy tried his best to listen in, curiously fascinated by the strange ancient Azarathean words. As Sanae finished his spell, Jeremy jumped slightly as he heard a large rumbling, like an earthquake. The rumbling got louder and louder, and he thought he saw the room start to shake. He then saw that the light coming from his lamp was getting brighter—no, it wasn't just the lamp, it was the entire room! The rumbling and the blinding light became greater and greater and soon flooded the entire room.

Opening his eyes, Jeremy saw that the room had changed from and blinding light to a pitch black darkness. Adjust his eyes to the new lighting, he soon realized he was in some kind of underground facility that was dimly lit with a few candles.

Seeing two figures that he presumed to be Sanae and Raven start to walk in the direction of a candle, he blindly followed the two silhouettes.

After a brief period of blindly bumping into several chairs, two walls, and one man, he made his way to a small room where many silhouettes stood gathered. He heard Sanae call out to the silhouettes, "Everyone, these are the people who have been sent to help us in overthrowing the Taboo and taking back our world," followed by a small applause. "The man here is Jeremy Rousseau, one of the top agents of the organization on Earth that we requested help from." Hearing a small applause, he smiled and waved his hand even though he couldn't see any of the people in the dim light. "This beautiful woman here is our very own Rachel Roth. For those of you who haven't yet recognized her, she is the fourteenth Lady of Azarath. She has asked that we refer to her as Rachel now." This was followed by a much larger applause.

As Sanae continued to talk about their future plans and goals, Raven closed her eyes and slowly breathed in the Azarathean air and felt a wave of life flow into her lungs. She smiled, as there was truly nothing like Azarathean air. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned around and saw a man about her age, with a small beard and a broad smile. "Rav—erm, Rachel."

Gasping, she embraced the man and cried, "Raphael!"

The two squeezed each other tightly and Raphael whispered, "We'll catch up on things later. Let's go to a private room to talk now about everything that's happened in Azarath."

"Okay," she whispered back. As Raphael turned around and started down a hall, Raven motioned Jeremy towards her direction. Vaguely seeing her motioning him, he blindly followed. Raven, following Raphael seemingly in circles. She efficiently made her way past many rooms and corridors and down many halls that it was almost impossible for Jeremy to follow. It was even more dizzying for him as the candles were dimly lit and he could barely see ten feet in from of him. Many times he lost sight of Raven and eventually she had to grab and pull him by the arm. Unbeknownst to him, however, Raven's face had what seemed to be a half-frightened, half-worried look, as she suddenly had a flashback of the time she had first brought Beast Boy to Azarath.

_Raven was walking almost in circles. She made her way past alleyways, across streets, around buildings, and through underground roads as efficiently as she would in Titans Tower. Beast Boy was led by Raven through dizzying paths; he felt like he was in a maze that had no exit. It was even more dizzying because it seemed to be approximately midnight, and it was almost impossible to see 10 feet away from you. Numerous times Beast Boy lost Raven and eventually she had to grab and pull him by the arm._

How could they be so much alike, Raven thought. No, she can't be thinking about this. She had a job to do and fantasizing about weird theories that her partner might be Beast Boy was not part of it. After what seemed like hours of turning around corners, Raphael, Raven, and Jeremy finally reached a small chamber. As the trio went inside, Raphael snapped his fingers and ten candles suddenly flickered with light. Finally in a room where everything was perfectly visible, Raphael turned around to take a good look at Raven's face, but was surprised to see a man behind her. "Is that your partner?" he asked. As Raven nodded, he took a closer look at the other man. "Wait…" Raphael said. "Is that… Bea—" But upon seeing Raven immediately glare at him, he stopped in midsentence.

Raven turned towards Jeremy and said to him, "Jeremy, do you mind letting Raphael and I talk in private for a little?" Jeremy nodded and walked out of the room.

As the door closed behind him, Raphael turned towards Raven and said, "Was that Beast Boy?"

She shook her head in reply. "His name is Jeremy Rousseau. He just happens to look like Beast Boy, that's all."

"Weird… Well where is Beast Boy, anyway?"

"…He—he's dead."

Raphael's eyes widened and he softly said, "I'm so sorry, Rav—dammit. Rachel."

She smiled back and said, "Thanks."

"Still," Raphael continued. "He looks so much like Beast Boy. It's almost as if—as if they were the same person, don't you think? I mean, I know it can't be if you say that Beast Boy was—was dead. But still. You kind of get that feeling, y'know? It's a strange feeling, but I kind of feel that he _is_ Beast Boy. You know what I mean? But then again, I guess that's impossible."

Raven nodded. "It really is impossible."

Under her breath, she whispered ever so softly, "Are you… Beast Boy?" Sighing and frowning, she whispered to the man behind the door, the man named Jeremy Rousseau who lived his entire life in France and could not possibly be Beast Boy, "What's your favorite color?"

~Memories in my Heart~


	9. Web of Lies x Azarath

**In order to make up for the relative boring-ness of the previous chapter, enjoy this much better, super long chapter! I apologize for the length, but hey it's Christmas break, right? You guys got time! While normally, I'd publish a new chapter every Friday/Saturday, I've decided to put this one up today 'cause the world's gonna end tomorrow, right? ;)**

* * *

In the center of a white, circular room, lit with magical white candles, stood a single round table, about ten feet in length, surrounded by twelve white chairs. Sitting on each chair was a Taboo, all dressed in their black jackets. As they were all in the company of their own, all of the Taboo had their hoods down—all except for the Conductor, not because he did not trust his fellow Taboo to know his identity (for they all knew who he was), but rather because he seemed to have some kind of secret hidden within himself that he feared the others would sense should they directly see his face. The Conductor, seated on the highest and most ornate chair, cleared his throat and addressed the other eleven.

"I have called this meeting," he started, "to inform you all of a certain… shall we say… 'update' to our plans." Looking around and seeing the others nod their heads, he continued, "As we have planned, the resistance faction has contacted Raven and she is currently working with them against us. What we have not foreseen, however, was that the organization in which Raven works in is… none other than Polaris."

"What?" Don cried in astonishment. "Po—Polaris? But—but sir, you know what that means. You know very well what Polaris truly is! They were the ones who last—"

"I know very well, indeed," the Conductor said calmly. "But it seems we have no choice. Remember our goal: to kill Raven at all costs. You all know what keeping Raven alive would mean."

"Indeed," said Don, sinking back into his chair.

Another man, one with short white hair, said, "She's eluded our grasp by hiding inside Polaris for ten years. We can't risk anything anymore. She _has_ to die now. Only then can we execute the second half of our plan: _Via Purifico_."

"That is correct," the Conductor said with a sigh.

"But how?" asked a man with a cleanly shaven head and a brown beard. "How could Raven have known what Polaris really was? The truth about Polaris is kept a secret from almost everybody."

"I don't think she really does know," said the white haired man in reply. "Perhaps it was mere coincidence that she has found it. She's hidden herself behind the walls of Polaris completely unaware of the safety it provides and of the danger she would have been had she worked in a different organization. It was just a coincidence." The man chuckled. "A coincidence that proves fatal for us."

"Not fatal," said Don. "It gives us a great disadvantage, but certainly not fatal. She does not know the true nature of Polaris, so it's doubtful she'll use it against us. The only thing to worry about is keeping the president of Polaris from knowing we still exist. If that happens, it will truly prove to be a hindrance to our plans."

"Exactly," interjected Monica. "Which is why we need to kill Raven as quickly as possible."

"It will not be that easy," the Conductor said. "Even if we eliminate Raven, there is still Polaris to deal with—more specifically its leader. Eliminating Raven will mean her name and place of death will be added to Polaris' obituary, which will inevitably attract its president's attention. And if that happens, of course, he could interfere with Via Purifico."

"Then what is to be done?" inquired a Taboo, whose hair was spiked up in a mohawk-like fashion.

"Perhaps we must increase Via Purifico's power, making it strong enough so that even Polaris cannot fight back."

"That will require even more of Raven's power, then," a blonde Taboo said. "Then I assume we must allow her to live a bit longer?"

The Conductor replied, "Until further notice, yes. I will start the process of slowly draining her energy. As long as she remains on Azarath, she will slowly start losing her power without her noticing. But I do not believe my powers will be as effective if she is on Earth."

The bald man with the beard then exclaimed, "Oh! And what of our—ahem—_guest_? What shall we do with him?"

With a slight smile, the Conductor snickered, "We'll keep him alive as long as we need to. He's still of some worth right now. After we're done using him to toy with Raven, we shall end his existence."

…

Raphael tapped his foot on the ground impatiently. He, Raven, Jeremy, as well as some of the resistance members stood in a small room that contained only a ladder that led upwards to a trapdoor on the ceiling. After several minutes, the trapdoor opened and Sanae casually poked his head through the opening.

"All clear," he said nonchalantly.

Raphael scoffed, "It's about time," and started climbing the ladder. "What took you so long? It's been nearly half an hour."

"I was making sure the Taboo won't notice us while we're up on ground level," Sanae snapped quickly.

The aforementioned people climbed up the ladder and made their way onto ground level. As she climbed out of the hidden opening to the resistance faction's secret base, Raven gasped upon seeing the outside world—her former home—in its present state for the first time. The once clear, sunset-orange skies were now replaced with dull grey, cloudy ones; the air was cold and clammy as opposed to the warm, loving atmosphere it once was; and—most horrifying of all—Raven could see, even though she and her fellow resistance members were on the very edge of Azarath, that the grand castles and buildings of Azarath were destroyed, torn down, and derelict. Its giant walls were now crumbled, its towers were now piles of rubble, and the only noticeable castle was the grand Azarathean Castle in Sector 1, which seemed to be unchanged. Raven assumed this was because the Taboo had taken residence inside the Castle. She shivered at the thought of the Castle's grand halls and elegant furnishings being vandalized and destroyed by the Taboo. But besides that, Raven's heart ached as she thought of all the Azarathean lives that had been lost—no, stolen by the Taboo. Looking back at her fellow resistance members, she saw that there were very few.

Raphael had told her that only about two hundred civilians managed to go into hiding, about fifty of which were Brothers, Sisters, Professors, or other professions of relatively equal importance. Only three Fathers and one Lady—not including herself—had managed to survive the Taboo invasion. The others had given their lives protecting Azarath—with the exception of two. The beloved Father Don Quixote had died not because of the Taboo, but because of both old age, exhaustion from using his immense powers to defend his Sector for as long as possible, and grief from the deaths of his people. In his last moments of life, he appointed Sanae as Father and he died a peaceful death.

As for the other exception, Raven was told by Raphael that the High Lady Azar—just before the Taboo had attacked the Azarathean Castle—had a secret second meeting with the Conductor. This one was very similar to the first as the conversation was kept a secret from all others. Following the meeting, the two stepped out onto the balcony and—according to witnesses—the High Lady bowed her head to the Conductor. The latter then drew a sword and impaled the Lady, killing her. Strangely, it seemed almost as if the High Lady had given the Taboo permission to overtake Azarath and to end her life.

As the day came to an end, Raven and Jeremy prepared to head back to Earth. Greeting the others goodbye, Raven transported the two of them back to Jeremy's office in the Polaris building.

Opening his eyes after the blinding light from the Transportation Spell faded, Jeremy was pleased to see that he was back at his office. He looked at Raven and was glad that she, too, was left completely intact. "Good work today, Rachel," he said. "Couldn't have done it without you."

Raven smiled back at him. "Likewise."

The two politely smiled at each other—smiles that faded when they came to the sudden realization that they were not alone. Both glanced over to the seat in front of Jeremy's desk and were surprised to find Terra sitting in it. She seemed to reciprocate the shocked feelings upon seeing Jeremy and Raven together. Standing up, she stammered, "Ra—Rachel? What're you d—doing here?"

"Oh, Terra," Jeremy said before Raven could respond. "I was going to tell you tonight, but it seems you've ruined my surprise. Remember that case I was working on? It seems Rachel's my partner. Strange, huh?"

Terra turned her attention to Raven and saw the latter nod shyly. Attempting a smile, the former said, "Yes. What a _pleasant_… surprise."

"Well… what're _you_ doing here, Terra?" Jeremy asked her.

"I came to visit you," she replied. "With Starfire's help, we finished nearly all our work early. We'll be able to open my boutique in maybe two days."

"That's great!" he exclaimed.

"Yep," Terra said, eyeing Raven. "Simply great."

Sensing she should leave, Raven excused herself and headed out the door. As she left, Jeremy called to her, "Remember Rachel, the party's tomorrow night! Wear something nice!"

Terra turned towards her boyfriend suspiciously. "Party? What party?"

Sneering, he answered, "See? You're always ruining my surprises. One of the Head Supervisors' anniversary is tomorrow and we're invited. I was going to tell you tonight over dinner."

"Huh, interesting."

Smiling, he said to her, "Come on, let's go eat. Aren't you hungry?"

Jeremy and Terra walked out of the building and into his car in the parking lot. Terra sighed a long sigh as Jeremy started the car. Glancing at her direction, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"I—It's nothing," she said quickly.

"Come on," he insisted. "Tell me."

"I—I just… I just didn't expect you to be working with Rachel," she admitted.

"What, do you not like me to work with her? What do you have against her?"

"No, it's not that, it's just…" Terra sighed in frustration. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but couldn't find the words to say. "I—I," she stammered, "I just don't really want you associating yourself with her too much."

"Heh, well that's kind of impossible considering we're partners. Why not? What's wrong with Rachel?"

"I—It's just th—I…" Terra stuttered. "I know I shouldn't be saying this… but… Rachel and I weren't the best of friends back then. Back when we were kids, I mean."

"Like how?" he asked curiously.

"Like—like she'd always be untrusting of me… and be suspicious of me… and she's really… she's really fake," Terra said, immediately biting her lip.

"What do you mean… 'fake'?"

"Like, whenever I'd wear something, she'd say it was ugly and then she'd wear it the next day," Terra lied. "And whenever I had an idea, she'd claim it as her own, and everyone always believed her."

"…Did she?"

Terra continued her web of falsities. "And for some reason, she'd do whatever it takes for the other Titans to like her more than me."

"I see…"

"And…" she said, biting her lips and shutting her eyes, as if vainly trying to hold back the lie she was about to blurt out. "She fancied the guy I dated. There was this one guy—my first love. And Rachel was always jealous of us. And she did whatever she could to break us up. And right after I had to leave the Titans for personal reasons, she sprang at the opportunity to get him. And you know what? She stole my first love away from me.

"That's why I don't want you associating yourself with her. I mean, I'm sure she's changed at least a little. But I can't help feeling threatened by her, you know? I don't want to lose you to her like I lost my first love."

Jeremy was silent. _"Was this all true?"_ he thought. _"It didn't sound like Rachel at all. But then again, why would Terra—his girlfriend—lie about all this?"_

"Don't worry, Terra," he said sternly. "I won't let that happen. I promise."

He never suspected Raven would be that kind of person. _"I see how it is,"_ Jeremy thought. _"I never thought you were that kind of person, Rachel."_ Meanwhile, Terra bit her lip almost as if in regret for having lied about Raven in such an abhorrent way. But she didn't regret it enough to tell Jeremy the truth.

The two drove through the New York streets and made their way to Terra's boutique, stopping there for a little to pick out a dress for Terra to wear tomorrow at the party. Looking through all the dresses, Terra kept suggesting the brightly colored, flamboyant dresses, none of which Jeremy approved of. Instead, he reached into a closet and pulled out an elegant black dress.

"Here," he said. "How about this?"

"That?" said Terra, examining the dress. "Isn't it a little… plain?"

"That's the beauty of it! A beautiful dress should be one that subtly presents its beauty instead of showing it off, don't you think? And look, there's another dress here exactly like it! That means customers really want this dress, right?"

Smiling, Terra agreed, "Alright, I'll wear it!"

However, as Jeremy examined the dress, himself, Terra started eyeing the other dress that looked just like the one Jeremy was holding. And secretly, she formulated a plan as a greedy smile formed on her face.

…

The following day, the boutique was occupied by Terra, Starfire, and some workers. They were all busy preparing the shop for opening day the next day. The workers were all busy sorting through all the clothes and racks, making sure all was in order. Starfire was typing furiously on her laptop, sorting all the clothes and prices in the correct folders. And Terra—having experienced a slight bossier change in personality after her many years away in France—was busy walking around the store making sure everything was completely perfect, and usually found an excuse to point out when something was not. Finally, the clock finished its race to the 12:30 mark, indicating lunch break. During lunch, Terra sat down next to her alien friend and together they ate some to-go from the local Mexican restaurant. "Hey Star," she said.

"Yes?" Starfire said.

"Good job today. Couldn't have done it without you!"

"Many thanks, Terra. It would not have been possible without your hard work and leadership!"

"Thanks! Wow, it seems everyone in our group is really busy nowadays. We're busy here, Cyborg's busy at his work as a scientist. Robin's ever so busy taking care of New York day and night."

"Yes. I _do_ worry about Robin, my little bungorf."

"Jeremy's busy at his job."

"Oh… Yes… Jeremy."

"And Rachel most of all! She's been so busy at Polaris lately!"

"Yes, I know! I wish we could reward her for all her hard work somehow…"

"Hey!" Terra exclaimed. "That's not a bad idea! We should do something for her?"

"Really?" said Starfire, her eyes instantly lighting up. "Well, what?"

"I've got an idea! Stay right here, I'll be right back." Terra left a smiling Starfire and returned with an elegant, black dress, the copy of the one Jeremy had shown her. "Rachel's going to a party tonight at her work. Wouldn't it be great to lend her such a beautiful dress like this?"

"Wow, it's beautiful!" the Tamaranian cried in glee.

"You know what they say, 'A beautiful dress should be one that subtly presents its beauty instead of showing it off.' Wouldn't Rach look absolutely gorgeous in this dress?" Starfire nodded vigorously in reply. "Great!" Terra said. "Here, give this to her before she leaves tonight, alright? But don't tell her I gave it to you. We'll all pretend it's your idea!"

That night, the pitiable Starfire did exactly as Terra instructed, giving Raven the dress to borrow without mentioning Terra. Additionally, she also let Raven borrow her pair of high heels, which fit Raven very uncomfortably.

As Starfire bid her goodbye, Raven took a taxi to the Polaris building. Arriving at her destination, she stepped off the cab and into the shadows. The raven-black dress almost completely hid her in the shadows, giving her a slightly terrifying, but largely subtly beautiful look.

Already inside the building stood many Polaris agents, dressed formally in suits and gowns and dresses, including Jeremy Rousseau in a sleek suit with a scarlet tie and Terra Markoff in the black dress the former had chosen for her. The two were talking with one of Jeremy's former partners—a blonde man in his early thirties called Daniel Cross—about Terra's dress.

"I think it looks very beautiful," Cross said to her.

"Yes, I agree. It's very pretty," Terra said in return.

"Then why did you not want to wear it an hour ago?" Jeremy asked.

"Oh," said Terra, forming another lie. "Because I showed it to Rachel, and she didn't express a lot of love for it. She said it looked pretty ugly, and that I should wear something else tonight. Good thing you talked me into wearing this again, right Jeremy?"

"Yes, good thing, indeed. You look beautiful." Giving her a small peck on the cheek, Jeremy caught sight in the corner of his eye Raven walking through the main entrance. Turning his attention towards her, he immediately saw that she was wearing the exact same dress as Terra. Looking back at Terra's dress, he remembered what she had told him the night before, something he really didn't believe before now.

"_Like—like she'd always be untrusting of me… and be suspicious of me… and she's really… she's really fake."_

"_What do you mean… 'fake'?"_

"_Like, whenever I'd wear something, she'd say it was ugly and then she'd wear it the next day."_

"No…" Jeremy whispered. "It can't be…"

As Terra turned towards the figure her boyfriend was staring at, she smiled ever so slightly upon seeing Raven's dress. Her plan was coming to fruition. Quickly hiding her smile and turning to her beau, she said, pretending to blush, "Oh, no. I'm—I'm so sorry you had to see that, Jeremy. I wish you didn't have to see Rach act like this. This is so embarrassing. I'll go get my jacket. Please don't mention this to Rachel. I'm—I'm so sorry."

She left the room, leaving behind a bewildered Jeremy, now believing every word that Terra had said about Raven.

Raven, a couple feet away and talking into her cell phone, said, "Yes, I'm sorry you can't be here, too Cyborg."

Cyborg, on the other line, said, "I know, I know. It's just, I want to be there with you all the time now, y'know? I mean you're at your work all alone, just you and Jeremy, and I feel—"

"Wait, how does Jeremy fit into all this?"

Stammering, Cyborg replied, "I—uh—umm, never mind."

"Is… Is this because he looks like… like Beast Boy?"

"No! No, of course not. That's just crazy… It's just… I feel like… you're slipping from me, y'know what I mean? I mean I kind of want to be with you all the time."

"Cyborg…" Raven sighed. "Look, I want to be with you too. But not all the time. I mean, my work, it's my own. When I'm working, I'm out there, doing it all by myself. And I'm proud of myself for working so hard. So, can you just let me have my work for myself? Please?"

Hearing him sigh, she heard him relent, "Alright, alright. Bye, Rach,"

"Bye, Cyborg." Hanging up, she caught sight of her partner and walked over towards him in hopes of sparking a conversation.

"Hi, Jeremy," she said with a smile.

"Hi," he replied back sternly.

Sensing his tone but choosing to ignore it, she said, "You look nice today. Very nice."

Clearing his throat, he replied, almost as if it hurt him to do so, "So do you."

"Oh, thanks. My friend picked it out for me."

Jeremy's eyebrows furrowed and he glared at her, opening his mouth as if to say something but was quickly interrupted by Terra, who returned wearing a large jacket that covered most of her dress so that Raven would not see that they were wearing the same outfit. "Rachel! You look so nice!"

"Thanks, Terra," she replied in her normal, calm voice. "You do, too."

"Well, it's getting a little late," Terra said, mostly to Jeremy. "I should be heading back to my boutique, making some last minute adjustments before opening day tomorrow! Bye Rach, bye Jeremy." And with this, she left.

"Wait," Jeremy tried calling to her, "the party just… started." He then glared at Raven, believing she was the reason that Terra had left so early, and ran after Terra. Eventually, he reached her at her car and climbed into the passenger seat.

"What're you doing?" she said. "Go back in."

"I will, just after we talk a little," he replied. "I like talking to you."

Trying to contain her smile in vain, Terra immediately frowned as something came into her mind, a thought that she feared greatly. "Hey, Jeremy," she said, her heart rushing in fear.

"Yes?"

"Has… has Rachel ever told you that you resemble someone? Someone she used to know?"

"No… why?"

She then sighed in relief and concocted her final lie. "It's just… I'm scared she fancies you like she did my first love."

"Don't worry. I know her tricks now, thanks to you."

"There's one last thing about her though…" Terra said. "Whenever she's interested in someone, she tells them this line. She tells them that they resemble—that they look exactly like… her first love. That's what she told my first boyfriend, that he looks exactly like her first love. And you know what? Every man who's heard that line has always fallen for it. If… if she tells you that you look like her first love, don't believe her, alright?"

"Okay," he said, nodding.

"You'd better get inside before they start to worry. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Jeremy proceeded to walk back inside the building as Terra left. Entering a hallway, he saw Raven limping her way to the restroom. He saw her remove her high heels and noticed that her feet were a little bloody—a sure sign that her high heels did not fit her correctly.

"Your high heels don't fit you," he called to her. "So why do you wear them? Is it just to look good?"

Hearing someone call to her, she turned to see Jeremy staring right at her. "They're—" she replied, "They're my friend's. She let me borrow them for the night."

Jeremy scoffed stingily, "Don't you ever wear anything that actually belongs to you?" and walked away coldly, leaving behind a stunned Raven.

The rest of the party continued as planned, with all the Polaris agents and guests happily celebrating the anniversary. Throughout the entire party, however, Jeremy kept glaring and acting harshly towards Raven, actions which she was quick to notice. Nearing the end of the party, Raven, her former partners—John Prower and Lee Desmeron, Daniel Cross, and Jeremy Rousseau—upon the insistence of Daniel—left to hang out at a local bar: The Bloodhound.

Prower, Desmeron, and Cross took one cab and Roth and Rousseau were (somewhat forced) to take another, with the first cab arriving at the bar first and the second arriving soon after. As Raven and Jeremy walked up towards the entrance, they were asked for IDs, which were readily provided. Taking a good look at Raven's ID, the man said, "Welcome, Ms. Roth. Your and Mr. Rousseau's table has been carefully reserved by Mr. Cross's party."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

Upon entering, Raven couldn't help but remember her first date with Beast Boy many years ago. Fighting back the urge to relive her memories, she relented and found that she remembered everything almost exactly.

_The two were nearing the city. "Hey, Raven, check it out!" cried Beast Boy as he pointed towards a nightclub: The Jackal. "Looks like fun," he said._

"_Fun?" said Raven skeptically._

_But Beast Boy left her with no choice as he dragged her to the entrance._

_After pulling Raven towards the door, the two were confronted by a very large man in a tuxedo that looked far too small for him._

"_Hiya," Beast Boy squeaked._

"_Sorry, kids. Grown-ups only," grunted the man._

"_Hey, but—"_

"_I told you, scram before I—"_

_Beast Boy waited for the man to finish his sentence, but nothing else came. The man was staring at Raven very strangely. Beast Boy glanced at Raven, and saw that her eyes were pitch black. He glanced back at the very large man and saw that he was now smiling._

"_My apologies, Ms. Roth," said the man. "There is a private table here for you and Mr. Logan. Unfortunately it is near the back."_

"_Don't worry," replied Raven. "It's quite fine_. _Thank you."_

"_My pleasure, Ms. Roth."_

Repressing her urge to revisit more of her memories, Raven walked towards the table where her friends sat.

"Great, you're here!" John said.

"Oy!" Lee cried to a waiter. "Five beers here!"

"Lee…" Raven said to him sharply.

"Oh, right. Make it just four, please! And some water!"

"Water?" inquired Daniel.

"Raven doesn't drink," John explained. "Never has, never will."

Seeing Daniel turn to her jokingly, she shrugged, "I don't like things messing with my head more than it needs to be."

The waiter returned with five crystal glasses, four beers, and one bottle of water. The five then filled their respective glasses and chimed them together happily. "Cheers!" they shouted.

Drinking merrily, they all spoke of various topics, none of which, of course, was about work. They spoke of Christmas, which was coming up soon, of personal lives, dating lives, various stories of past missions or times when they got so drunk they ended up somewhere in Idaho (these were mostly from Lee). Soon, the conversation diverted into a much different topic than drunkenness.

"Come on, John, tell us!" Daniel cried. "I already said mine!"

"Yeah, come on!" Jeremy chimed in.

"We're waaaaaiting," Lee wailed on the verge of drunkenness.

"Alright, alright," John laughed. "My first love was a woman named Jessica Parker. We met in college. We broke up after—what?—two years together?"

"Nice, nice," everyone said. "Your turn, Lee!"

"Hahahaha!" Lee laughed heartily. "My first love… is my hand!"

The others laughed out loud and playfully punched his shoulder, yelling, "You pervert!"

"Jeremy," John said. "It's your turn. Who was your first love?"

"Ah," he replied with a smile. "It seems that I've never had one. Sorry."

"Never had one?" Daniel said. "But I've seen you with lots of girls, even before Terra! Didn't you used to be a playboy?"

"What?" he cried. "Playboy! Never!"

"Yeah you were! Before Terra you were such a playboy. I've never seen you with a girl for more than a month before Terra came bouncing into your life."

"Haha, what can I say?" Jeremy replied.

"Rachel," Daniel said. "It's your turn."

"Oh," Raven said, blushing. "I'd, um, I'd rather not say."

"Come on," the others said. "We've told ours, now it's your turn!"

"I'd rather not…" she said with a smile, drinking her water.

"Guys, if she doesn't want to say, she doesn't want to say," John said to the others. "Let's leave her be."

"Fine…" Lee and Daniel said, but Jeremy merely scoffed and said, "Of course she won't say. She's had too many first loves, she can't count them all."

Raven, upon hearing this, widened her eyes and was deeply offended. That's it, she had reached her limit. She had put up with Jeremy's attitude all night, and she simply couldn't put up with it any longer. Eyeing a glass of beer on the table, she swooped up the glass in her hand and drank the entire glass in one massive gulp. The others—with the one exception of Jeremy—gasped at a result and reprimanded her for drinking so much on her first time. Ignoring the others, Raven poured herself another glass and continued drinking.

The night went on and eventually, John and Daniel—both still mildly sober—had to carry a knocked out Lee back to his apartment, leaving Jeremy alone with Raven. Jeremy stared at her now as she drank her twentieth glass of beer. He could tell she was deeply intoxicated as she lazily laid her head on her hands. "Jeremy… Jeremy Rousseau… Jeremy Rousseau…" she slurred.

"You're drunk," he said simply, though he truly couldn't care less about her well-being.

"Really?" she said. "Sooo…. This is what it'sss like. To be drunk."

He then heard her let out a massive sigh and say, "Jeremy Rousseau… But you can't be… Jeremy Rousseau, right?"

"Why can't I be?"

She sighed. "Because. You look... so much like him. You look so much like him. But… you can't be him… right?"

"Who's him?" he said, playing along with her game.

"Whenever I see you… I see him. Because you know what? You two look so much alike. But you can't be him. You can't."

"And who's him? Who do I look like? Who do I resemble?"

"My…" she said. "My… My first love. Garfield Logan. Beast Boy."

Jeremy shook his head in disappointment. He remembered what Terra had told him, and Raven's words now confirmed his belief.

"_She fancied the guy I dated. There was this one guy—my first love. And Rachel was always jealous of us. And you know what? She stole my first love away from me. That's why I don't want you associating yourself with her. I can't help feeling threatened by her, you know? I don't want to lose you to her like I lost my first love."_

"_Whenever she's interested in someone, she tells them that they look exactly like her first love. That's what she told my first boyfriend, that he looks exactly like her first love. Every man who's heard that line has always fallen for it. If she tells you that you look like her first love, don't believe her, alright?"_

"I can't believe it…" he muttered. "You're so pathetic."

"Beast Boy…" she whispered. "Beast Boy…"

It was time to take her out of this place, Jeremy thought to himself. Standing up and walking over to her, he carried her up in his arms, for he was strong enough and she was light enough for him to carry her without any trouble. Taking her out of the bar, he reckoned they were close enough to his apartment to walk there.

Carrying her across the streets of New York, Jeremy heard her mutter something and heard her cry out drunkenly, "Hey Jeremy! Mr. Rousseau!"

"Shut up…" he said to her.

"What's your favorite color?" she cried out. "It's green, right? It's green…"

Jeremy ignored her and continued walking towards his apartment building.

"What's your favorite season?" she shouted again. "Is it winter? I bet it's winter…"

Reaching the building, he headed inside the elevator and, with some difficulty, pressed the button for the 5th floor.

"What's your favorite flower?" she bellowed. "I think it'sa… it's a white rose! Am I right? That's kinda girly isn't it…?"

Carrying her down the hallway and into his room, Jeremy heard her whisper to him as if she was whispering a deadly secret, "What's your favorite animal? It's people, right?" Her smile disappearing into a grim frown, she whispered, "Any person in particular?" Tears started to form on her eyes, but she was quickly knocked unconscious by the alcohol.

Jeremy gently set her down onto his couch and wrapped a blanket around her. As Jeremy walked over to his counter and poured himself a glass of water, Raven's eyes opened slightly and she saw Jeremy's figure, blurry and cloudy. No… Raven thought to herself. That wasn't Jeremy Rousseau… That… That was Beast Boy. It must be Beast Boy… It had to be Beast Boy. It was…

"Beast Boy…" she whispered.

Hearing this name, Jeremy raised his head, then closed his eyes and furrowed his brows as if in deep thought. His left hand formed into a fist and his right hand clenched his glass of water tightly, as if he was making some kind of decision and did not know which was the right choice. He seemed to rack his brain for a decision and seemed to think long and hard. And then, after several moments of thought and hesitation, he came to a decision and, setting down his cup of water, letting it _clink_ on the marble counter, he turned around in a movement so quick, staring at the woman directly in the eyes, and responded to her in a voice so soft, so milky, so angelic, yet was like a thunderbolt striking a forest and setting it on fire: "Yes?"

~Memories in my Heart~


	10. The Lovers x Earth

**So I've decided to upload this chapter three days earlier than I normally would, for many reasons. One is that it's Christmas and this is my present to you all: the first chapter in this entire story that actually ends on a completely happy note. Shocking huh? And the other reason is that it's Winter break for a lot of you guys, and that means more time for me to write and you to read. And remember: Have yourself a very Merry Christmas!**

**And a special gift for any of my Vietnamese readers: Xin chúc bạn một Giáng Sinh rất vui vẽ, an lành, ấm áp, và hạnh phúc!**

* * *

Words couldn't describe the sort of shock that rushed through Raven's veins. It was no less than like a lightning bolt striking her down, making her writhe in pain and grind her teeth. Or maybe it was like a thousand needles slowly jabbing into her heart over and over again, relentlessly, mercilessly. Probably the only thing that kept her from feeling much pain was the alleviating intoxication of all the alcohol she had just consumed.

For here he was: Beast Boy.

In the flesh.

For ten years, Raven had been calling out his name, begging him to come back to her, reliving every single memory of him every single second of her life for ten years, hoping to somehow keep him alive in her memories. For ten years, she had called out to him, and finally, it seemed, he had answered.

Raven rose up from her lying position, sitting up on the couch and staring at the man intently. "Beast Boy?" she asked again, as if doubtful she had heard him correctly. But his reply—his cold, stern, yet gently soothing reply—confirmed her belief.

"Yes," he said, slowly walking towards her. His eyes started to change, Raven noticed. It seemed to be apologetic, as if it was a cesspool filled with sadness and sorrow. They became cloudy, as if he was hiding something inside those eyes, or rather because what he had been hiding was now revealed. "Yes," he said again. "Yes, it's me. It's Beast Boy." Now sitting next to her, he stared into her eyes and whispered lovingly, "It's really me."

Raven shook her head in disbelief as tears rose from her eyelids. "No. No, it can't be. You can't be Beast Boy, are you?"

Lowering his head, the man said, "It is. I'm sorry for deceiving you all this time. But it really is me." Looking up into her eyes once more, he added, "I'm here."

Gently punching his shoulder, Raven cried as tears strolled down her cheeks, "Why? Why, Beast Boy, why? Why'd you have to do this to me, huh? Why did you just—just disappear from my life like that?" Catching her breath through her sobs, she continued, "Do you know how much you've hurt me? Do you know how much I've cried? Do you know how much—how much pain you've caused me?"

The man shook his head silently. "That's all in the past, now."

Raven gazed at him, hurt. "Does—does the past mean nothing to you? Do I mean nothing to you, Beast Boy?"

"I have Terra now," he said unfeelingly. "She's all I need."

Raven choked on her sobs, and whispered with a dry, cracked mouth, "Didn't I mean anything to you?"

Leaning forward and gently placing his hands on Raven's cheeks, he murmured to her, "Then shall we go back into the past? Shall we go back in time, at least for a moment?" Bringing his lips closer to hers, he whispered, "Shall we go back to when we loved each other?" And when his lips were so close to hers he could feel her breathe, he whispered, "Shall we go back?"

Raven closed her eyes, waiting for him to kiss her, to bring them back to when they were happy together. But nothing came. She only felt him pull his hands and lips away from her and stand up, walking back to the counter.

"What," she said softly. "What're you doing?"

"Oh come on," he retorted. "I've played your game long enough, we can end it now."

"Be—Beast Boy?" Raven said.

"Would you stop it?" she heard the man say. "I'll have you know I'm smarter than that. I'm not falling for any of your cheap tricks."

Feeling as if someone had just punched her in the gut, Raven said, "J—Jeremy Rousseau?"

"That's right," Jeremy said turning around to face her. "I'm Jeremy, your best friend's boyfriend. Why can't you just accept the fact that I'm seeing Terra instead of trying to trick me into falling for you?"

Walking towards her again to meet her eye-to-eye, he said emotionlessly, "You are pathetic and sad. Face it: I know you're a fake. I know you'll do anything to get me. And I know that this 'Beast Boy' of yours isn't real."

Before he knew what happened, he felt a sharp slap land on his left cheek. Turning back at Raven, he saw that her eyes were burning furiously and her lips were clenched tightly. "Forgive me," she hissed between gritted teeth. "Forgive me for believing you were actually human!" And she ran out the apartment in bitter tears.

…

The following morning, Jeremy received a call from the Polaris office notifying him that he will not need to attend work today, as his partner had called in sick. But he knew, of course, the real reason why Raven didn't come today. Either way, he didn't argue, as this meant a free day off for him. He also received another phone call from Terra, who informed him that she was on her way to his apartment to pick him up so they can come to the grand opening of her boutique in half an hour.

Within minutes after her call, Terra was already knocking at Jeremy's door. He opened it with a smile and let her in, motioning her to the couch as he prepares some coffee for the two of them. As Terra waited at the couch, she spotted something from the corner of her eye—a small black object protruding from the bottom of the sofa. Reaching down and picking it up, she saw that it was a small black notebook. Opening it, she found that it was Raven's planner.

"_Rachel was here last night?"_ Terra thought to herself. _"How could she have been? I made sure that she and Jeremy hated each other. Are they… seeing each other? No, that's crazy. I'm just being paranoid."_ An idea arose in her mind and she stuffed the planner into her purse, smiling slyly.

…

Terra's boutique was a success. The store was packed within minutes of its opening as customers fought each other over the clothes. Terra, Starfire, Jeremy, and the other workers were on their toes trying to handle all the customers. It was said to have around a thousand customers in just its opening day—though this is the part of our story that may be a little unreliable. Its huge success, however, was largely due to the fact that its owner and head assistant were both former members of the Teen Titans and had saved New York City in many occasions and so the boutique was granted a lot of publicity, especially in the _New York Times_.

But—like I said before about Robin and Starfire's wedding—this isn't a story about Terra, is it? Once again, this is a story about Raven and Beast Boy, and we will now jump forward in time a few hours to the next important event in their story, which is when Raven heard a knock on her apartment door.

"Terra?" Raven said as she saw her friend standing outside her apartment. "Come in."

"Thanks," Terra replied. "Wow, I haven't been here in a while. I kind of miss this place."

"You know you're always welcome to move back in with me and Starfire," Raven said.

"No thanks. I'm enjoying living alone." The two girls sat down on the sofa.

"So how was the grand opening? I heard it was really crowded, right?" Raven said, trying to start a conversation.

"Oh yes, it really was."

The two sat in silence for a moment, then Terra reached into her purse and pulled out Raven's planner. "Oh, Rach, I believe this belongs to you?"

The color in Raven's face drained as she was handed back her planner. "Y—Yes, yes it is. Where'd you find it?"

"In Jeremy's apartment," Terra said coolly. Raven flushed, realizing that she must have accidentally dropped it while she was in his apartment the previous night. But before she could think, Terra asked her, "Why were you there, Rachel?"

Panicking, Raven stuttered, "I—I'm so sorry, Terra. I—It's not what you think it is, I swear."

"Is it?" Terra questioned skeptically.

"Yes—yes, I promise. It was just an accident. I had absolutely no intention of going into Jeremy's room. I—I can assure you nothing happened there."

"Fine," Terra said. "I believe you. But just tell me, Rachel, and give me the absolute truth." She stared at Raven dead in the eye with an almost lethal look, as if she half-expected Raven to drop dead at that very instant. "What were you doing in his room?"

Raven's mouth was clasped shut. She didn't know how to answer the question. She searched to find an appropriate answer, but found none. Eventually, Terra, as if she had read her mind, said, "You… you were curious about him, weren't you? You thought he was Beast Boy, right?" Terra didn't wait for a response, as the look in Raven's eyes already gave her away.

Sighing in frustration, the blonde woman said to the violet-haired woman in a gentle, but stern way, like a parent giving a lecture or a teacher reprimanding a student in detention, "Rachel, you must understand. Despite what you think, despite what you see, despite what you might want, you have to understand: **Jeremy Rousseau is not Beast Boy.** I understand what you're going through. You miss Beast Boy dearly and you whenever you see Jeremy, you think of Beast Boy, right? And that subconscious longing made you see Jeremy as Beast Boy and not for who he really is: Jeremy Rousseau. I know, I understand. I went through the same thing when I first met Jeremy. I thought he was Beast Boy as well, and I followed him everywhere, certain that he was Beast Boy. I thought he was like me—that he wanted to start a brand new life and decided to forget everything about his past. But then, soon I realized how different he was to Beast Boy. You've spent some time with him, surely you must have noticed. Has Jeremy said a joke yet? He hasn't, right? And you know Beast Boy would have by now. Haven't you noticed how smart and knowledgeable Jeremy is? And how good he was at planning and recon? And you know Beast Boy is horrible at both. Didn't he tell you about his power? Haven't you seen that his powers are different than Beast Boy's? He doesn't turn green like him and he can talk while he's an animal. From the time you've met him since now, has he shown any bit of similarities to Beast Boy? Or has he acted like a different person? Think about it Rachel. Just because he looks like Beast Boy, doesn't make him Beast Boy. He is Jeremy Rousseau. Not Beast Boy."

Raven contemplated these words, even after Terra had already left, and she was stunned to discover how much truth was in these words. Raven—too busy searching for any vague similarities that Jeremy shared with Beast Boy—never noticed how different they both were. It was true that Jeremy had not cracked a joke like Beast Boy would have. It was true that Jeremy, while scouting on Azarath, showed remarkable planning and reconnaissance skills, both of which Beast Boy lacked. She also remembered that Daniel Cross had mentioned that Jeremy was something of a playboy—a sharp contrast to Beast Boy who was always so shy and awkward with girls. Even something as little as their choice of color was different—Beast Boy was the would-be mascot of Everything Green whilst Jeremy seemed to have a thing for the color red. And—Raven noticed with a heavy heart—Jeremy toyed with her, pretending to be her lost love then claiming to her face that Beast Boy wasn't real—a horrible act that she knew Beast Boy, no matter how angry, would have done. The Beast Boy she knew wouldn't have pretended to be someone whom he knows she cares for dearly then blow her off. And yet Jeremy did. Beast Boy, no matter how angry, was too kindhearted to insult someone like Jeremy did at the party and at the bar. Jeremy Rousseau. Beast Boy. Such two very different people.

And so, after a long period of meditation, after a long period of contemplation, after a long period of thought, Raven finally realized the truth—that Jeremy Rousseau was not Beast Boy.

He was simply another man.

Beast Boy was dead and gone now.

And that was reality—one that Raven will finally have to accept.

And she accepted it.

And now she could finally move on, something she knew Beast Boy would have wanted her to do.

…

Later that day, Starfire had come home to the girls' apartment for her break and was imploring to try a fortune reading on Raven—a skill which the orange-haired alien had recently learned.

"Please, Rachel. I implore you!" she begged.

"Fine, fine, Star. Fine. Just know that you're gonna be late for work in five minutes," Raven grumbled in a half-irritated, half-amused way. There were many times when Starfire still acted like a teenager

"Okay!" she said giddily, pulling out a pile of Tarot cards. Conjuring a magician-like face, which was far more humorous than the completely serious expression she had hoped, Starfire whispered mystically, "Pick a card. Any card!"

Nonchalantly, Raven picked a random card from the middle of the deck. Studying it, she saw that the card contained a picture of a man and a woman—both naked and undoubtedly Adam and Eve—standing on a grassy plain under a graceful angelic being. At the top of the card was a small 'VI' and at the bottom stood the inscription 'THE LOVERS'.

"Oooh, The Lovers," Starfire murmured. "It means that you have been chosen by the universe to unite with another being. It is said that whoever else chooses this card is your star-crossed lover!" Mischievously, she added, "Shall I try it on Cyborg and see if he pulls out the same card?"

Smiling, Raven answered, "I'd rather you not, Starfire. I'd rather avoid being aligned by the universe or anything at all, really. Hey, aren't you gonna be late for work?"

"Oh no! Terra will kill me!"

As Starfire jumped up and started running out the door, Raven called, "Wait, you forgot your—" but was responded only with the sound of Starfire hurriedly slamming the door behind her. "—card," Raven finished.

Shrugging, Raven studied the card again. "The Lovers, huh?"

Suddenly, her phone rang, which she answered with a "Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Roth," she heard a woman say on the other line. "This is Nancy McLeod from Polaris."

"Yes," Raven said curiously. "How may I be of service?"

"I'm calling to inform you that Miss Drew, your and Mr. Rousseau's secretary in charge of your case has been relieved from her service."

"What?" Raven cried. "Why? By who?"

"By Mr. Rousseau, actually. He requested her resignation due to the fact that she hasn't gone to work for two weeks—a period far exceeding her sick days."

"But Nancy, you know why she didn't go to work! Why didn't you stop him?"

"I tried, Ms. Roth, but I have no power over that. Miss Drew is under Mr. Rousseau's authority, not mine."

"That's insane! I'm calling him right now!"

Hanging up and dialing Jeremy's number on her phone, she answered his 'Hello?' with a "Are you that evil?"

"What do you mean?" she heard him say at the other end.

"Why did you fire Miss Drew?" Raven demanded.

"She has not arrived for work for six days past her maximum number of sick days," Jeremy replied stoically. "I had no choice but to fire her."

"You're mad!" she cried. "Mr. Rousseau, she is seventy two years old. Her husband had just passed away three weeks ago. Cut her some slack that she's mourning her husband who she was married to for forty five years!"

"Hmph," he grunted. "She should keep her personal life out of her professional life then. The best thing to do for the dead is to forget the dead. We should allow their spirits to pass on rather than cling onto the spirits and keep them falsely alive in memories."

"No," she said. "You're wrong. When we remember someone who has passed, we don't keep them from resting in peace. We keep their memory alive. We let them know that we still care for them, even if they're gone." Tears started to form in her eyes, she continued, "You don't know what it's like, do you? You don't know what it's like to have someone you love, someone you care for stand right next to you one day then be snatched away the next. You don't know what it's like to lose someone you care for more than yourself. You don't know the hole in your heart they leave behind as they disappear from your life. You don't know, Jeremy Rousseau." Shaking her head tearfully and finally realizing that this man is not Beast Boy, she whispered one final time before hanging up, "You don't know."

…

Hearing her hang up, Jeremy set his phone down on the table in front of him and turned his attention back at Daniel Cross.

"Come on, Jeremy, just try it!" Daniel said to his former partner. "It'll be fun, come on! Even if you don't believe in it, just try it out."

"Alright, fine," Jeremy said to Daniel, who was sitting with him on a couch in the former's apartment. "But make it quick."

Alright, said Cross, pulling out a stack of cards. "You know the drill. Pick a card, any card."

Jeremy closed his eyes and pulled out a card from around the middle of the deck. He glanced at it and gave it to Daniel. "Ah," the latter said intriguingly. "The Lovers. The harmonious union of two beings. It means you are about to meet the woman who also possesses this card, and this woman is your second half, the missing piece from your life, your eternal love as destined by the universe."

"Yea, sure it does!" Grabbing the card back and examining it, Jeremy joked, "Shall we try it on Terra and see if she pulls it out?"

"What are the odds of that happening?"

"Well, if she _does_ pull it out, then I know she's meant for me. If she doesn't, I'll just break up with her," Jeremy teased. "And I'll move onto someone else."

Daniel laughed. "See? You are a playboy!"

Jokingly, Jeremy shrugged, "I don't like wasting my time."

As the two friends laughed, Jeremy heard his cellphone ring. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw that it was Terra calling.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Jeremy?" Terra said.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Was… Rachel in your room last night?"

Jeremy was stunned. "How—how did you know?"

"Rachel… Rachel told me," came the answer.

"She did? I promise you, Terra. Nothing happened between us. She was just too—"

"No, it's alright, she told me what happened," Terra said. "But please, could you… could you stay away from her? I think she… she might be coming on to you."

"What makes you say that?"

"She told me… She told me I'd better watch out. She asked me what kind of boyfriend would let another woman into his apartment like that? Rachel threatened me, saying I'd better watch out or you'd be hers soon enough."

Jeremy's eyes widened and his brows furrowed. "…She—she said that?"

"Yeah. So could you… could you just stay away from her? Whatever it takes. For me, please?"

He sighed in frustration. "Of course, Terra. Of course I will. Hey, I'll head there in a bit. I'll pick you up and we can get dinner or something."

Hanging up, he couldn't help but groan out in irritation. "What's wrong?" Daniel asked in concern.

"It's nothing," Jeremy sighed. "I gotta go. I'm going to pay Terra a visit. I think I'll take her out to dinner or something. She seems stressed."

"Oh, alright. I guess I'll leave."

"No, it's alright," said Jeremy, putting on a white jacket. "You can stay as long as you'd like."

Leaving, Jeremy headed into his car and drove towards Terra's boutique. Arriving at the shop, he was greeted by the cashier.

"Oh! Mr. Rousseau!" she said. "I'll get Ms. Markoff—" She stopped midsentence as Jeremy smiled and put his finger to his lips, mouthing, "I'm surprising her."

Creeping slowly up the stairs, he heard the distinctive voices of Terra and Starfire and decided to playfully listen into their conversation.

"…Really?" said the voice of Starfire. "Rachel was in Jeremy's room?"

"Yeah," replied the voice of Terra. "But don't worry, I talked to her about it. It was just an accident."

"What'd she say?"

"She apologized and apologized," Terra said to Jeremy's surprise. "I couldn't get her to stop saying sorry."

"_She apologized?"_ Jeremy thought. _"No, that's not right. Terra said that Rachel threatened her. Now she's saying that Rachel actually apologized? Something's… not right."_

"Well could you close up in a bit? Jeremy and I are going out for dinner," Terra said.

"Have fun."

"Thanks. Oh shoot! I need to put on some makeup. Stay here and keep him occupied while I go to the restroom." Before leaving, she added sharply, "And _don't_ talk about Beast Boy to him."

Jeremy froze in place. _"Did… did Terra just say… 'Beast Boy'? She—she did, didn't she? Beast Boy… Wasn't that the name that Rachel said? Wasn't that… wasn't that her first love?"_ Suddenly, the dawn of realization came upon him. _"Rachel… she wasn't lying after all. That explains everything. Of course she wasn't lying. How could she pretend to miss someone so realistically? I remember Rachel cried and kept looking at me when we first met at my office. Why would she do that unless… unless I truly did look like her first love—Beast Boy?"_ His jaw dropping in horror, he realized, _"Then that means… Terra was lying. Everything she said about Rachel… was wrong. Was a lie."_

Gritting his teeth, he muttered to himself, "Only one way to find out," and climbed up the stairs. Greeting Starfire cheerfully, he sat next to her on a chair.

"Hello, Starfire. Nice to see you," he said.

"The same," she said, forging a smile.

"_If Beast Boy is real,"_ Jeremy thought. _"And I really do look like him, that would explain why all of her friends feel awkward around me."_

"Terra is in the restroom," Starfire said, trying to avoid a conversation.

"_It's now or never,"_ Jeremy thought. "Hey, just a random question," he said, trying to sound like he was merely starting a conversation. "Do I look like someone you know?"

Facing the man with wide eyes, Starfire said, "Yes, yes you do! How do you know? Did Terra tell you? Ugh, that Terra! Telling me to not talk about him to you when in reality she wishes to tell you all about him!"

"Then," said Jeremy, scooting closer to the woman inquisitively, "then I _do_ look like someone, right? I resemble someone you used to know, right?"

"Erm, yes. I had a friend once, a long time ago. And he looks a lot like you. But a bit… greener."

"What was his name?" Jeremy asked frantically. "Can you tell me his name, please?"

"Oh? His name?" said Starfire. "His name was Beast Boy. Well, his real name was Garfield Logan, but we all call him Beast Boy." She repeated again as if for emphasis, carefully sounding out each syllable, "Beast Boy."

Jeremy was quiet and slowly shook his head. _"I can't believe this."_

"And," he said. "And what became of this Beast Boy? Where is he now?"

Shaking her head slowly, Starfire whispered, "He is dead."

"_He's… dead?"_ Jeremy thought. Then he remembered Raven and all that she had told him and found that everything made sense now.

"_You don't know what it's like to have someone you love, someone you care for stand right next to you one day then be snatched away the next. You don't know what it's like to lose someone you care for more than yourself. You don't know the hole in your heart they leave behind as they disappear from your life. You don't know, Jeremy Rousseau."_

"Oh, Jeremy!" he heard a voice call from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. "You're here!" Turning around, he saw that it was Terra—the one who had lied to him about Raven.

"Let's go," he grumbled, walking down the stairs and ignoring Terra's shocked face.

The two sat in Jeremy's car as he drove them—not to the restaurant like he said, but to Terra's apartment. "What," Terra said, confused. "What are you doing? Aren't we going out to eat?"

"We need to talk," he replied taciturnly. "I feel that… there's something we need to talk about."

"S—Sure, anything."

Turning to face her directly in the eyes, Jeremy said without hesitation in a stony voice, "Who is Beast Boy?"

Terra felt the blood drain from her face and her hands become numb as she heard the name. "Wh—What do you m—mean, Jeremy? I—I have n—no idea who that is."

"Don't lie. Don't lie to me anymore like you have for the past few days and tell me the truth for once. Who is Beast Boy?"

Terra's heartbeat quicken and she felt like a bucket of ice was thrown down her back. "Di—Did Starfire tell you about him? Because she's j—just making it up. Ra—Rachel told her t—to tell you that they had a friend named Be—Beast Boy once. They're lying, Jere—"

"I heard you talk about Beast Boy," Jeremy interrupted furiously. "I'm going to ask you one last time. Who's Beast Boy?"

Shaking her head as tears started to stroll down her cheeks, Terra whispered, "J—Jeremy…"

"Tell me!" he demanded.

Jumping slightly, Terra blubbered, "B—Beast Boy… He was a friend of—of ours. He was a T—T—Teen T—Titan. He was… He was Rachel's first love!"

Jeremy sighed and rubbed his temples. "Why didn't you tell me about him? Why did you lie about him, then?" Raising his voice, he hissed, "Was everything you ever said about Rachel a lie also?"

"Jeremy, please!" she said, exasperated. "I—I didn't mean to lie to you. It's just… I didn't want to lose you! I cared about you too much." Staring at the snow road in front of her rather than at Jeremy, she explained, "Beast Boy wasn't just Rachel's first love." Beating her heart, she continued, "He was mine as well. We fell in love with each other a long time ago, but I broke up with him because I didn't think he loved me. Months later, he and Rachel started to fall in love with each other. But Rachel wasn't trying to steal him from me. She actually broke up with him, trying to get him to go back to me. But in the end… in the end he chose Rachel. And now, you reminded me of Beast Boy. I felt worried like you'd fall in love with Rachel like Beast Boy did. I thought I would lose you, so I opened my mouth and a lie came out of nowhere. They just came and came and—and I'm so sorry I deceived you. Really, I am. Please, please forgive me!"

Thinking for a moment, Jeremy replied, "I forgive you." But before Terra could take the time to smile, he added without hesitation, "But I can't trust you."

"What… what do you mean?" she asked fearfully, feeling her heart start to burst.

"You lied to me because you didn't trust me. You didn't think you had my loyalty when in reality, you did. But now that you've lied to me, you lost both my loyalty and my trust." Closing his eyes, he declared, "I'm sorry, but I think we're going to have to break up."

…

Minutes later, Jeremy made his way to Raven's apartment and started to go inside. Just before entering, thought, he lifted his head and stared up at the white sky, letting the snow gently fall onto his face and tickle his neck. Smiling, he walked inside. There was still one thing left he had to do.

"Excuse me," he said to the woman at the front desk. "I'm visiting a friend. Do you know where Ms. Rachel Roth lives?"

"Jeremy?" he heard. Turning around, he came face to face with Ms. Rachel Roth, herself. With a small smile, he came up to her and said softly, "Hey Rachel."

"What're you doing here?" she said suspiciously.

Scratching his head, he started, "I called Miss Drew. She's been rehired."

"Thank you," Raven said.

"Also… I came to say… came to say I'm sorry, Rach. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. I'm sorry for pretending to be Beast Boy. I'm sorry for saying he wasn't real. I'm sorry… for everything. There was… a misunderstanding and I thought you were a kind of person that I now realize you're not. Can you please… forgive me?"

"Jeremy," Raven said strangely. "You're acting different."

"But this _is_ me, Rachel. Okay, how about we just start over, okay? Just act like we didn't meet until now. Let's erase memories of each other before this moment." Clearing his throat, Jeremy extended his arm and said, "Hello, I'm Jeremy Rousseau, nice to meet you."

Smiling, Raven shook his hand and said, "Likewise. My name is Rachel Roth. Guess we're going to be partners?"

"I guess so. We'll make a great team!"

"Haha," Raven laughed. "Well then. I'll see you later, Mr. Rousseau."

"'Til then, beautiful Ms. Roth," said Jeremy, kissing the back of her hand.

As Raven left the building, he noticed that something fell out of her pocket. Curious, he walked over to the small item and saw that it was a sort of card. About to tell her that she had dropped it, he saw that she was already gone. Picking up the card and examining it, he saw to his surprise that it was a picture of a man and a woman standing on a grassy plain under a graceful angelic being. At the top of the card was a small 'VI' and at the bottom stood the inscription 'THE LOVERS'.

"The Lovers…" Jeremy muttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his own Lovers card, finding that the two were exactly the same.

"_The Lovers,"_ he remembered Daniel saying. _"The harmonious union of two beings. It means you are about to meet the woman who also possesses this card, and this woman is your second half, the missing piece from your life, your eternal love as destined by the universe."_

Staring up at the door that Raven just left through, Jeremy whispered, "My second half… my eternal love… Rachel… The missing piece from my life?"

~Memories in my Heart~


	11. A Brief Battle x Azarath

**Eh, a somewhat uneventful chapter. Basically serves to separate Raven and Jeremy from the rest. And to add a new character. Read on!**

* * *

— **Several Weeks Later —**

"You know, there's something about you," Raphael said to Sanae. "Something I just can't trust."

"What is it, then?" Sanae replied coolly.

"Ever since we met, it's just _something_ that keeps me from believing you…" he replied. "Tell me, who are you?"

Sanae smiled and replied, "I am…"

"Wait..." Jeremy interjected. "Where's Rachel?"

Raphael looked around in worry. "Wasn't she… just here?"

Jeremy's eyes flashed in fear as he searched for her. "Rachel?" he called. "Rachel!" Looking back at Sanae, who was smiling his cold smile, Jeremy yelled, "What have you done to her?"

Sanae Kang then proceeded to snicker, then laugh, then cackle monstrously. His screech gradually became louder and louder, almost like sirens, until it became less and less human-like and more and more like honks.

Two loud, terrible honks.

…

Then Jeremy opened his eyes, startled awake by his alarm clock. It was just a dream, he realized. Groaning, he shut off his beeping alarm clock and tried to go back to sleep. To his surprise, Jeremy found that he was uncomfortably wet and hot. Feeling his face, he realized that he was sweating. Dragging himself out of bed and into the bathroom, he saw that his entire body was drenched with sweat. Shivering in the cold air, Jeremy decided he'd better get up.

He then proceeded with his regular morning routine. He brushed his teeth, quickly undressed, and took a shower, then dyed the roots of his hair dark red. Before dressing, however, he noticed an unsightly blotch like a rash on his left forearm. Grunting, he searched for his phone and dialed a number.

**[Note: Any time when " " are shown around a conversation, it implies a translation from French.]**

"Hello?" he mumbled drowsily. "Dr. Bastion? Yeah, it's me, Jeremy Rousseau. Remember my weird rash thing? It's back again."

"Well like I said before," Dr. Bastion replied over the phone. "Use the medication I gave you. You still have it?"

"Yeah, but is there any way to keep the rash from coming back? It's a little annoying."

"No, I'm afraid."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Jeremy, I've been your doctor ever since you were a little boy in France. I know everything about you from your allergies to your weight. Trust me, you're going to have to depend on my medication."

"Alright, thanks. Goodbye."

Hanging up, Jeremy sighed as he treated his rash with his medication. Within a few minutes, the rash will disappear, he knew.

Jeremy then dressed and left for his office in Polaris. Another trip to Azarath was due. This time, they were planning to attack the Taboo head-on. Today might be the day when the Azaratheans finally take back their world.

…

As Raven sat in Jeremy's office, waiting for him to arrive, her conversation with Cyborg just that morning rang in her mind.

"_We're getting married in a month," she remembered him saying._

"_A—A month?" she had said._

"_That's right, a month."_

"_Isn't that…" she had said, startled. "Isn't that kind of early? I mean we just got engaged."_

"_Rachel, I want to be with you. All the time. I want to be there with you always. I love you, and I want our life together to start as soon as possible."_

"_Ar—Are you sure? Cyborg, I don't know if I'm ready to get married… now."_

"_And why not?" Cyborg had said, raising his voice. "Is it because of Jeremy?"_

"_What does this have to do with Jeremy?"_

"_Well you spend so much time with him as it is. That's why I want us to be married as soon as possible, so I can watch over you."_

"_Cyborg!" she had cried in shock. "Don't you trust me?"_

"_We're getting married. That's final."_

Sighing, Raven heard the door open and saw Jeremy walk in. Attempting a smile, she greeted him. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," he replied enthusiastically. "Let's take back Azarath!"

Raven quickly cast the Teleportation spell and brought the two to Azarathean resistance base.

As the light faded, they say Raphael looking directly at them. "Great, you're here!" he said as he handed some weapons to the rebels. "Now hurry, we don't have much time. We've practiced this before, I'm sure I don't have to remind you two what to do. Go!"

"Right!" Raven and Jeremy said simultaneously right before they both scrambled in place.

…

The Taboo with the cleanly shaven head and a beard stared out a window from the Azarathean Castle, looking down upon moving objects he recognized to be people approaching the castle. Smiling, he said to Don, who was beside him, "Ah, we have visitors."

"Do we? And what do you propose with do with them, Yang?" Don inquired.

**[Note: The name 'Yang' is pronounced with a long 'a' like 'Yong'.]**

Yang tilted his head playfully, crossed his arms and flexed his muscles, which bulged out slightly from under his jacket. "Perhaps I shall… _entertain_ them?"

Don shook his head in reply. "Nah, you'd probably kill them."

Yang shrugged, "Eh, you're right. You go distract them then. Separate Raven from the rest."

"I dunno, I'm kinda lazy," Don said, yawning playfully. "Who are you to order me around? You're not the Conductor."

"You know I'm a higher rank than you."

"Well last time I checked, I always beat you in chess."

"Ah, just go!" Yang grumbled.

"With pleasure." With this, Don disappeared in a gust of black smoke, which flew out the window and directly towards the group of people underneath. Landing right in front of them, the smoke dissipated to reveal the shadowy figure of Don.

"Hello!" Don cheekily greeted the startled rebels.

"A Taboo!" Raphael cried, getting into a ready position, signaling the others to do the same. Most of the others drew crossfires—Azarathean crossbow-like weapons that shoot magical arrows.

Raven jumped back in shock and immediately readied herself to cast any spells. The Taboo had made a grave mistake in choosing to invade Azarath. Had they taken over any other world, Raven's power would be limited to purely her 'Azarth Metrion Zinthos'. But she was on Azarath now, and her power had substantially increased. She could cast much more powerful spells here than she could on Earth.

Raven quickly studied the man who now stood before her. He seemed about her age, perhaps older, but no more than 30. His hair was a reddish-orange color, similar to Jeremy's, but brighter, and was spiked up. He had a fairly slender figure and a fair countenance. His eyes were fairly large and his smile wide. His voice did not seem demonic or particularly evil in any way as Raven had imagined, but it sounded rather friendly and a bit welcoming, but was also very sarcastic.

"Now, now is that any way to say 'Hi' to a guy?" Don said tauntingly. "We've barely just met! Didn't even get to say my name. I'm Don, nice to meet you." The man extended his hand to Raven. "And you are?" he asked with shiny eyes. A short _bang_ sounded as one of the rebels fired their crossfire directly at Don. Before she knew what was going on, Raven saw that Don had deflected the arrow with his hand seemingly at the speed of light. She gasped. How did he do that? Those magical arrows are very powerful, and yet he managed to block it with merely his hand?

"Hey!" Don cried, almost as if he was insulted by the fact that they would fire at him. "How rude! I was just trying to get to know the little lady."

"You'll get to know Death!" cried one of the rebels. "Die!" he shouted as he fired his own crossbow. The magical arrow whizzed through the air and headed straight for the Taboo's face but suddenly stopped in mid-air, inches away from his nose. As Don smiled, the arrow dropped straight to the ground, causing the others to gasp. They clearly had no idea what they were up against.

"Must this all end in violence?" he asked them.

Raphael scoffed. "You're the ones who took our world away from us!"

Don muttered under his breath, "If only you knew…" then called out to all of them, "Alright then. Now that we've all got to know each other, don't you die on me now!" His eyes flashed in glee as he stretched out his hands. In an instant, balls of fire emerged from his palms which he threw at his opponents. The fireballs were quickly blocked by Raven, who had conjured up a shield. Raven heard a snarl come from behind her as a tiger leapt above her shield and aimed its claws at Don. Raven looked behind her and—seeing Jeremy missing—realized that the tiger was Jeremy.

Jeremy swiped his claws at Don, but only managed to attack thin air. Landing expertly on the ground, he saw that Don had dodged his attack and he was met with a fireball to the face. As Jeremy stumbled back and reverted back into human form, Raphael ran towards Don with two crossfires in his hands. Firing them both rapidly, he saw that the Taboo managed to dodge each arrow. Before he had time to react, Raphael felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Looking down, he saw that the Taboo had somehow ran to where he was and kicked his stomach, sending him flying into the air. In the blink of an eye, Don jumped up to where Raphael was in the air and punched him repeatedly with ninja-like speed. _"How is he doing this?"_ Raphael thought as he uselessly tried to block the Taboo's attacks. As Don looked at Raphael face-to-face, the former's eyes flashing red, Raphael thought, _"No, he's not human!"_ Don smiled and sneered, "Who said I was?"

"_What!"_ Raphael thought. _"Did—did he just read my mind?"_ But before he could do anything else, Don sent a massive ball of fire straight at Raphael, sending him crashing into the ground.

Don landed gracefully on the ground and heard several _bangs_ behind him. Smiling, he merely snapped his fingers and all the arrows—there were at least twenty of them—suddenly stopped in mid-air. Turning around, Don saw that Raven and Sanae were a little away from the others. "Perfect," he said, smiling. As he pointed his finger at Raven, the arrows suddenly turned around and flew right at her. Raven prepared to block them, but as they flew right past her, she realized they were not aimed at her. Rather, they were aimed at the ground near her and formed a line, separating her from the others. Don raised his hand, and all the arrows instantly burst into flames. Finally, he swung his arm down and the flaming arrows seemed to connect themselves, forming a line of fire. Raven suddenly felt the ground below her start to rumble and realized that the ground on her side of the line of fire was dropping. Turning towards Sanae, she cried, "He's separating us from the rest!"

"No!" Raphael cried. As he saw Don smile and disappear in a cloud of smoke, he closed his eyes and focused his powers. He had to save Raven, no matter what. He concentrated his energy and telepathically lifted her up and brought her over the fire. Hearing someone yell, "Put me down!" he opened his eyes happily but was shocked to see Sanae rather than Raven.

He realized to his horror that he had accidentally rescued Sanae instead of Raven. Now Raven was down there by herself, sinking down into the Taboo's grasp. "No!" Raphael cried as he ran over to the edge.

"I'll find her," Jeremy said, jumping through the line of fire and transforming into an eagle. "I'll save her!" Jeremy cried in eagle form as he dove down. He searched for Raven with his eagle senses and found her on a lower ground. To his horror, he saw that there was another man with her—Don. "No!" he cried as he dove down as fast as he could. "Rachel!"

Meanwhile, Raven was fending off the attacks of the Taboo, blocking his fiery attacks with her magic. "Come on, now," he said. "I expected so much more from you!" He proceeded to launch another stream of fire at her, which she blocked with another magical shield. "You have no idea what you're capable of!" he cried, strengthening his stream of fire.

Raven saw that her shield was getting weaker. "No!" she cried. "I can't… give in. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

"That's not gonna help!" Don cried almost maniacally as his fire broke through her shield, sending her flying back into the cliff behind her. "What?" he taunted. "You're not going to fight back? What happened, Lady of Azarath?" He conjured up a large ball of fire and threw it straight at Raven's barely conscious body. Raven closed her eyes and prepared to take the hit, but none came. Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see a bear take the attack for her. As the bear transformed back into human, she saw that it was Jeremy, now knocked out from the powerful attack. "Jeremy?" she said.

"Isn't this romantic?" Don sneered. "Too bad it's all going to end… now!—Argh!"

Don stumbled back and clasped his shoulder in pain. What was that? Someone had just attacked him. But that's impossible! Looking up, he saw that Raven was caring for an unconscious Jeremy. The attack was not hers. Rather, the attack had come from another person who had just appeared as if from nowhere. This newcomer was standing in front of Raven and Jeremy. He smiled and said calmly, "I'd rather you not interrupt their little moment. I'm a fan of love stories."

"Who—who are you?" Don said, confused. He had never seen this man before. He definitely wasn't part of the resistance group. Who was he?

"I'm not obliged to answer," the man said as he telepathically lifted a nearby boulder. "Now scram, Taboo, or you'll be picking pebbles out of your mouth." Don grunted and decided it was best to retreat and promptly disappeared.

As the three were left alone, the newcomer dropped the boulder and turned his attention towards Raven. "You okay?" he asked.

Raven stared at the man and answered, "I guess," and looked at him head to toe. He seemed to be her age, perhaps younger, and had scraggly ash-blonde hair and lavender-colored eyes. He wore jeans and a white sleeveless jacket over a black t-shirt. His eyes were twinkling and his mouth was smiling as if he were telling a joke. "Who are you?" she asked.

He replied with a slightly nasally voice and an air of arrogance, "My name is Joshua. You're lucky I came when I did, otherwise you'd be blown to smithereens by now. And since I've just saved your life, I take it we're gonna be best friends now, right?"

Raven felt dizzy and replied, "Yeah sure… whatever," before losing consciousness.

~Memories in my Heart~


	12. Fighting Fire With Fire x Azarath

**Ack! Sorry for the late update, guys. Midterms, y'know? Anyway, this chapter is mainly setting up for the next one. So anticipate!**

* * *

Raven held close to the bridge, which was swaying back and forth, creaking as though it was about to break as the wind brushed past her hair and licked her ankles. Looking down, she saw that under her was a wide river, its waves crashing onto the two cliffs that the bridge connected. The waters roared, seeming to be screaming at her, demanding her life. She looked at one end of the bridge and she saw Beast Boy standing on the cliff that she and he used to go to. He was smiling at her, his smile like the setting sun. She then turned the other way and saw on the other cliff an office. Behind the desk in the office sat Jeremy Rousseau, who bore a smile like the rising moon. "Rachel!" he called out. "Raven!" she then heard Beast Boy call to her. "Rachel!" "Raven!" "Rachel!" "Raven!" "Rachel!" "Raven!" "Rachel!" "Raven!" The two voices started to collide with each other and became more and more muffled.

…

Raven awoke as she heard some muffled voices whispering to each other. Opening her eyes, she saw two distinct figures talking, but either the room was too dimly lit or she was still sleepy, as she could not make out who the two figures were. Turning beside her, she saw that Jeremy was with her, fast asleep.

"She's up," she heard a voice say.

"About time," a slightly nasally voice said back. He walked over to her and kneeled down. Raven saw that it was a familiar face—the man who had saved her and Jeremy from the Taboo. He smirked and said, "Rise and shine. Your beauty sleep will have to wait."

The other man walked over to Jeremy's bed and shook him a little to wake him up. Turning towards Raven, the man said cheerfully, "Hey there! Hope you two had pleasant dreams."

The man introduced himself as 'Soel', or 'Mr. S' for short—though Raven couldn't see how 'Mr. S' was any shorter than 'Soel'. Though Raven never told anybody for the rest of her life, there was something about this man that strangely attracted her. Not romantically, of course. It was the kind of attraction that one couldn't explain—sort of like a fond respect or a strange magnitude. He was indeed one of the strangest men she had ever met. He wasn't spectacularly tall—a bit taller than Jeremy but still shorter than Cyborg—, and had a small beard and moustache and small black eyes. His hair was short and spiked up at the front and was predominantly pitch black with a little gray. While he was not fat, he had a slight chubby roundness in his gut—but his arms contained a hint of muscle as if to balance it out. The strangest part one him was his voice, which was unlike any that Raven had ever heard before. It was deep, deeper than a regular men's voice but higher pitched than a normal deep voice, reminiscent of a cello—and his voice seemed to resonate around the room whenever he spoke. He also had a small accent which Raven could not identify—a strange, almost otherworldly accent. He seemed to be in his mid-thirties and his appearance made him look distinctly Asian, bizarre considering the fact that Earthly races such as those did not exist on Azarath.

The rest of the morning was spent discussing who Joshua and Soel were. They were survivors of the Taboo invasion and were also seeking to overthrow the Taboo as well. They, in fact, knew of Sanae's resistance group but decided not to join as it was too dangerous. "What if you guys got captured and killed?" Soel pointed out. "_Then_ where would we be? It's much safer for there to be two resistance groups rather than one."

"Though it seems you guys are a bit… _lacking_… in the resources we have," Joshua commented snarkily. "I saw you guys fighting Don, the Taboo. Little pathetic if you ask me."

"Hey!" Jeremy said, offended. "That guy was insane! He was using some kind of fire magic—thingy!—and was moving at like the speed of light! We had no idea the Taboo were that strong. How can we possibly put up a fight against… _that_?"

"Easy," Joshua replied. "They have power, sure. So we get power as well. Fight fire with fire."

"But how do we get that kind of power?" Raven asked.

"Oh," Soel smiled. "Don't you worry. _We_ have power." He nodded at Joshua, who proceeded to raise his hands slightly until they were about level with his shoulders. To Raven's shock and amazement, he began rising higher and higher, levitating to where he could touch the ceiling. He then pointed at a wall, and instantly a bright light flashed as a small bolt of lightning shot out of his finger and landed on the wall, frying it into a crisp.

As the man returned towards the ground, Raven gasped, "How—how did you do that? That magic—that was really powerful! Levitation? Lightning magic? Those are skills worthy of a Father!"

He only smiled and returned, "Well, of course. I _am_ Joshua, you know."

Ignoring his remark, Raven turned to Soel. Sensing she wanted answers, he smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small pendant. It was black and circular, about one inch in length, and had an image of a scarlet stylized skull—which Raven recognized as part of the Taboo symbol. As Soel handed it to her, she curiously asked, "What is it?"

"This, my dear," he answered, "is a pendant. It seems like a normal necklace, right? But you couldn't be more wrong—it's been implanted with powerful magic, the same kind as the Taboo's. You ever noticed that strange symbol on the back of their jackets? A scarlet skull with wings? It's more than just a fashion statement—it's their very source of power. As you know from your training as a Lady, Rachel, ancient powerful magic can only be conjured through glyphs—that is, symbols. The Taboo's insignia is also a glyph, one that allows its user to cast powerful magic and enhances its user's natural abilities, meaning you could use it and it'll enhance your magic while Jeremy could use it and it'll enhance his shape shifting abilities. Theoretically, if a Taboo were to be able to take off his jacket, he'd lose all his powers. But that's very impossible since their jackets are part of them—but that's another story.

"These pins contain the same glyph as the Taboo's insignia and therefore, these pins will bestow its wearer the same kinds of power that the Taboo have. In essence, it'll allow you to fight fire with fire—a phrase that can be taken figuratively… or literally. Fire magic is always an option in battle," Soel chuckled.

Raven inspected the pendant carefully. There seemed nothing out of the ordinary about it. "So how does it work?"

"You just wear it, of course," Soel chuckled. "I thought it'd be obvious. After that, everything is up to you. It all depends on your creativity."

Jeremy furrowed his brows. "So we just imagine some kind of spell… and it'll happen?"

"If you want to put it like that… Though I'll warn you it won't be a guaranteed success; it requires a great deal of concentration. But remember just two things and you'll be good: _Curiosity and Imagination_," Soel explained. "Magic all comes from the mind. And what strengthens the mind? Curiosity and Imagination. Curiosity gives the mind the urge to grow and flourish. Imagination gives the mind the power to see and perceive more. Without these two, who knows what would be of our world! All inventions, discoveries, theories, and revolutions from our world as well as yours would not have been possible were it not for these two! Curiosity and Imagination. Remember those."

Placing the pendant around her neck, Raven closed her eyes and concentrated just as Soel had told her to. She meditated for a moment, concentrating on her mind, her power, her curiosity and imagination. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she whispered. In an instant, she felt a rush of energy flow through her. A great power surged through her muscles, coursing through her veins and she felt it nearly overflow her body. A great force like a powerful gust of wind seemed to lift her up, as well as all the other objects and people in the room. After a few airborne seconds, she and the others gently floated down to the ground.

"Whoa…" she gasped. So much power… She knew levitation magic wasn't easy—levitating herself as well as others required a decent amount of power. But now, she had just levitated everything in the room effortlessly, as if it was as easy as breathing. With this kind of power… maybe they would stand a chance against the Taboo.

"Amazing isn't it?" Joshua smiled.

As Raven fondled the strange pendant between her fingers, she asked in astonishment, "How—how is this possible? How did you make this?"

Soel cleared his throat and answered uneasily, "That's… that's probably better answered at another time."

Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out another one of the pendants and handed it to Jeremy. "Here, why don't you try it and see how it affects your powers?"

"But," Joshua interjected. "Let's take you outside and try it. I'd rather not have a turtle flying around and potentially knocking over all the candles." With this, Joshua escorted Jeremy outside. Raven stood up to follow them, but was stopped by Soel.

"Wait, Rachel. I'd like to talk to you… privately."

"Umm, sure," she replied, sitting back down. "What's up?"

"I sense you have some questions you want to ask me," he replied smiling. "You'd better ask 'em now. You might not get a chance later on."

Raven hesitated for a moment. He was right. She had so many questions and they might not be answered later on. Might as well ask now. But there were so many questions! Which one should she start with?

"Ask away, Rach," he smiled. "I won't bite, promise."

"Well… How much about the Taboo do you know? Any info would help," she tried.

"Ah, yes. Straight to the point, no beating around the bush. You're a real professional, aren't ya?" he laughed. "Well I suppose you already know the basics, right? They're a group of people with dangerous powers who are led by the Conductor."

"Right, Seymour?"

Soel furrowed his eyebrows in a confused look. "Who?"

"Seymour," she replied. "The Conductor? I've had a couple encounters with him in the past before."

"Umm… Seymour you say?" he asked. Suddenly, his eyes seemed to light up in realization and he muttered under his breath, "So that's your plan huh, Sanae?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh! Oh nothing. Continue."

Raven thought for a moment. What question to ask next? Glancing back at the man, she asked him, "Who are you exactly? What sector were you from before the Taboo came?"

"Ah," he smiled. "Can't say, really. I'd have to say I was something of a hermit, a wanderer. I went this way and that. So many places you can't really say where I was from or where I'm going."

"Okay… What—what about Joshua? There's something about him that feels a little… off."

Soel smile suddenly disappeared and he said to her grimly, "Before I answer, I need to ask you. Are you friends with him?"

"Well," Raven said, not knowing how to answer. "We've just met… Kinda hard to be friends with someone you've known for a couple of hours."

"I—I know, but… Does he look like someone you _would_ be friends with?"

"I'm… not sure."

He, in turn, sighed and muttered, "Poor kid…" Sighing, he continued, "Joshua… I know this will come as a shock to you, but the truth is he's not from here. He's from Earth, same as Jeremy over there."

"What?" Raven exclaimed. "But… how is that possible?"

"It's a long story. A really long story that I really can't explain," he answered, scratching his head. "You see, Joshua is… different from other people. He's… special. Have you noticed that when he was levitating, he wasn't wearing a pendant?"

Raven felt the color drain from her face. She hadn't realized it, but now that she thought about it, she didn't remember seeing Joshua wear a pendant while levitating himself. He wasn't wearing one while he attacked the Taboo named Don, either. "You—" Raven stammered. "You mean…?"

He nodded. "Joshua has been born with magical powers. Very powerful magic, as you can see. He also… He can _see_ things—things no one else can see."

"Seeing?" Raven said skeptically. "Like _'I see dead people'_ kind of seeing?"

"Not really… More like he can see a sort of aura around people… like he can literally _see_ the emotions that they feel. Like a sixth sense kind of thing. I can't explain it well, I don't even know half of it myself.

"You see, ever since Joshua was little, he never really had any friends. Everyone avoided him, thought he was some sort of weirdo because of the things he saw. They all thought he was weird and they excluded him from everything."

"I can't really blame them," Raven snorted. "His egotistic attitude is repelling."

"Now that, that's just a self-defense mechanism he developed over the years. Before he wasn't like that, before he was different. But seeing people constantly reject him, seeing all the wrongings humans do to each other through wars and fights and verbal abuse—that all changed him into the person he is now. He believed everything in the world was all wrong. He believed everything was evil. He absolutely hated the world because it spared no happiness for him. A long time ago, he bumped into me on Earth. I was surprised when I saw his abilities and I remember how happy he was that he had found someone like him. I was older than him, but I quickly became his only friend."

Turning to look Raven directly in the eye, Soel finished, "So you see, please be his friend. Or try your best to put up with him. You don't know the kind of things he's been through."

Raven was silent. She knew, alright. She could understand Joshua perfectly. She suddenly saw how similar Joshua was to herself—both of them were alone as kids, both of them felt that there was no happiness or good in the world, both of them were unfriendly and antisocial. It was eerily strange how similar they both were. "Don't worry," she said to Soel. "I won't reject him, I promise. I know what it's like."

"Thanks," Soel said, smiling once more. "It's really sad the loneliness he's been through. Even when he's smiling, he's dying inside."

Raven stared at the door where Joshua had just went through a few moments ago. "We're… we're a lot alike," she thought. "It's weird. I never thought I've met someone who's been through the same things I've been through."

"Oh I forgot to mention!" he exclaimed. "One of the most important and useful features of the pendants: telepathy."

"Telepathy? You can read people's minds with these?"

He nodded. "It allows you to tap into people's thoughts and hear what they think as well as what they say and hear. The catch is that you can't read someone who also has a pendant. This means you can't read the mind of a Taboo, but on the bright side, they can't read yours. One of the Taboo's most precious abilities is their mind-reading ones as it allows them to anticipate their opponent's next move like a precognitive Spider-Sense. Now that they can't read your mind, they are severely reduced in ability. Try it," Soel winked. "Stay here, I'll fetch the others."

Raven stopped for a moment as Soel left to find Jeremy and Joshua. Reading people's minds? That kind of magic was unthinkable! Perhaps only High Lady Azar had that kind of power. And now she—Raven—could use it? Yes, they definitely stood a chance against the Taboo now! Now who shall she read the mind of? Soel and Jeremy weren't options as they also had pendants. She dared not enter the mind of Joshua since it was all probably just his own voices complimenting himself. How about someone on Earth? Robin? Starfire? …Cyborg? Yes, she'd do Cyborg. After all, he was her fiancé. He probably wouldn't mind.

Deciding to read Cyborg, Raven closed her eyes and concentrated on him, gripping her pendant tightly. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

In an instant, she started hearing some voices. They were cloudy and fuzzy at first, but gradually became clearer. In time, she could make out the distinct voices of Cyborg and Robin.

"Come on, Cyborg, she's your fiancé!" Robin said.

"I know, I know," the voice of Cyborg came. "But I don't know why. I just can't trust that Jeremy guy."

Raven's eyes widened. What did he mean 'I just can't trust that Jeremy guy'? She continued to listen in.

"Cyborg, you gotta trust Rachel. She's been dating you for ten years! She's not going to throw all that away just because of one guy."

"But he's not _some guy_. He—he looks just like Beast Boy. He reminds her of Beast Boy."

"So?"

"'So?' I'm worried Rachel's gonna start getting feelings for Jeremy. She might think she's getting feelings for him when in reality it's only because he reminds her of Beast Boy."

"Cyborg, you know she's better than that."

"For ten years I've been fighting Beast Boy's shadow. And now it's almost as if he actually came back. I mean I know he was my best friend and everything, but I just can't shake off the feeling that… Ugh I don't know. You know, when we first started going out, I was really scared and confused. I didn't know what to do. I knew I had some kind of feelings for Rach, but there were all these rules in relationships, y'know? I mean what you and Star have isn't common. Normally when people go out with their best friends, it never ends well. Rachel… I mean she's Rachel! Not only was she my friend, she was my dead best friend's girlfriend! How could I…? I decided I wouldn't bring it up again. But I remember the day I did ask her out. It was… after our first dance…"

Raven stopped and opened her eyes, which were burning angrily. Cyborg… didn't trust her? He didn't trust her with Jeremy just because he looked like Beast Boy? That was so—so—so hurtful. She was with him for ten years! Of course she wouldn't throw all that away. In the three months she'd known Jeremy, she had no feelings for him and she was sure he had no feelings for her, either. But how—how dare he? How dare he believe that she couldn't be trusted! What was she, a tramp? She couldn't believe this. She absolutely could not believe this.

Suddenly, all three men ran into the room, scrambling in various places. Jeremy ran directly to Raven and grabbed her arm, saying, "We have to go."

"I got the pendants!" Soel shouted, holding a small box.

"How many were there? Three?" Joshua asked.

"Four, counting Seymour," Jeremy replied.

"Wait what?" Raven shouted. "What's going on? Seymour's here?"

"The Taboo are here. Four of them," Jeremy replied. "Let's go back to the rebel's base."

"No," Joshua said. "Soel and I will teleport there. Why don't you and Rachel stay and… entertain them with your new abilities?"

Jeremy and Raven looked at each other and smiled. It definitely seemed like a good idea. The two nodded.

"Alright," Joshua said. "This'll be easy for you guys then. We'll be back as soon as we can. Remember to flee if you guys are losing. We can't afford to lose you."

He then teleported away with Soel disappearing shortly after. Raven clenched her pendant and glanced at Jeremy. "You ready?" she asked.

He smiled back, "Course. Let's show them what we're made of." And the sorceress from Azarath and the shape shifter from Earth headed out the door and into the sunlight. They stood in a city well destroyed, leaving only some surviving buildings amongst the rubble. Ash and dust occupied the air and a cool wind was blowing.

Raven immediately saw four figures ahead of her, all wearing black jackets. One of them seemed to be bald and had a small but bushy beard. A woman with short blonde hair stood next to him and another man stood behind her. In overshadowing all three of them, however, was the tall stone-like figure of a man Raven knew too well: Seymour.

"Ah, we meet again," Seymour smiled. "It is a pleasure that our paths once again cross."

"Shut up," Raven said between gritted teeth.

"Hmm, I see you have those pendants," Seymour sneered. "But they won't do you any good."

"Enough small talk." She swung her arm in front of her and immediately lightning magic flew towards the four Taboo. Three of them dodged the lightning while Seymour merely blocked it by conjuring a shield. Landing expertly on his feet, the bald Taboo opened his mouth, forming his lips into an 'O' shape, and blew with his powerful lungs. A gust of wind like a small tornado emerged from his lips and tossed her back, but the spell was quickly interrupted as a tiger leapt out of nowhere and clawed the Taboo's back. Lightning magic from Monica—the blonde female Taboo—sent the tiger flying. Using his pendant, however, Jeremy quickly recuperated and transformed into a falcon while still airborne and flew directly at the woman with its claws extended. The battle kept on going for several minutes, with no clear winner.

During the battle, though he knew this was no time to think about Raven, he couldn't help but occasionally making some quick glances at her, making sure that she was okay and admiring her extraordinary fighting abilities. From his years as a Polaris agent, Jeremy knew that a female combatant was rare and an _excellent_ female combatant was even rarer. And yet, Raven made it look like nothing, like she was born to fight. She wasn't one to cower in fear, she wasn't one to even fight in the sidelines—rather, she was the one to lead them into battle, as if she knew no fear. But, Jeremy knew, these thoughts were better left thought at a time when he wouldn't be burned alive if he didn't pay attention to the battle at hand.

Eventually, Yang—the bald Taboo—exclaimed, "We're going nowhere with this!"

"You're right! Their new magic is too powerful!" Monica replied.

"Then let's deprive them of their magic, shall we?" Yang snickered as he clasped his hands together and started muttering a couple spells. As he finished the incantation, he raised two fingers into the air and a powerful shockwave-like force pulsed throughout the air.

Raven, having been educated on a large variety of spells, instantly recognized it as the Anti-Magic Spell, a highly powerful one that curses all those nearby, temporarily preventing them from using any form of magic. "I see," she noted. "Our magic must be powerful then if they wish to deprive us of it. But I know I'm better than them at hand-to-hand combat."

She was wrong. The Taboo were well-versed in unarmed combat, with Monica beating Raven mercilessly with quick, furious jabs of her hands and Yang—who was, in fact, much better at martial arts than magic—simply destroying Jeremy, who was relatively weak when in human form.

Out of options, Jeremy pulled out a miniature crossfire from his belt and aimed it at Yang. "Hahaha, cheater," Yang laughed.

"I don't play by the rules," Jeremy sneered as he suddenly shifted his aim to the other male Taboo who was idly standing by and not suspecting to be attacked. Jeremy pulled the trigger and immediately a magic arrow came flying out of the crossbow and landed squarely on the Taboo's leg. As the Taboo cried out in pain, Jeremy tried aiming at Seymour. But as Yang had much keener reflexes, he kicked the crossfire out of the changeling's hand and caught it in mid-air. Snickering, Yang aimed the weapon at Jeremy and pulled the trigger, firing an arrow right onto his right shoulder.

Hearing Jeremy cry out and realizing they no longer stood a chance against the Taboo, Raven fled her fight with Monica and ran over to Yang and Jeremy. Pulling out her own crossfire and firing an arrow right onto Yang's chest, she knelt down with Jeremy and pulled the arrow out of his shoulder. Gathering up all her remaining strength, she yelled, "We gotta go," and pulled him up. Placing his arm around her neck, she helped him limp away, but not before turning around and firing an arrow at Seymour.

Slowly, she managed to drag Jeremy out of the city and onto the barren desert that was the edge of Azarath. As they reached the cliff, Raven gently placed him down as she tried to open a portal, but found that the Anti-Magic Spell hasn't worn off yet. "No!" she cried.

"Oh big fat bummer!" she heard Monica smirk from behind her. Turning around, she saw that the four Taboo had caught up to them and were slowly approaching. "Your cornered," Monica sneered greedily. Raven looked away from the Taboo in hopes of finding an escape route. There was none; the cliff they stood on was the very edge of the world. Beyond that was only an endless abyss. Staring back at the four Taboo in horror, Raven realized that she and Jeremy indeed had nowhere else to go. And since there was no magic, she didn't bother to try to conjure a portal or teleport away.

This was the end.

As Yang raised up his crossfire and aimed it at Raven's feet, she knew it was the end.

As he fired and an arrow landed on her left ankle, she knew it was the end.

As the force of the arrow made her slip and fall backwards, she knew it was the end.

As she stood there, dangling off the cliff with only one hand, she knew it was the end.

Even as the Taboo all disappeared, she knew it was the end. Jeremy was nearly unconscious; he couldn't save her. And she felt her hand getting weaker and weaker… until she felt the cliff slip from her grasp. In the split second after she let go, Raven's entire body was engulfed with shock and fear, for it knew that it was all over.

"Rachel!" a voice cried as a hand shot out from above and grab her wrist. Gasping at being suddenly rescued, Raven looked up to see Jeremy holding onto her hand with his injured arm. "No! Argh!" he cried out from the immense pain on his right shoulder. "Don't… die!" he grunted.

Panting, Raven grabbed his hand with both her arms and tried pulling herself up, which only lead to Jeremy crying out even more. "Oh God…" Raven mumbled in fear. If only she had her powers, then she would easily save herself and Jeremy wouldn't be in so much pain. "No…" she thought, "It's all over. Jeremy's shoulder is hurt, he can't possibly pull me up." As soon as she thought this, she felt a thick liquid ooze onto her hands, which she saw to be Jeremy's blood.

"No! Rachel!" he cried out as his blood dripped down his arm and onto Raven's.

"It's over…" she cried.

The blood only made things worse by making Jeremy's hand even more slippery.

And as Raven felt her hands start to slip, she knew it was over.

~Memories in my Heart~


	13. The Fall of the Taboo x Azarath

**Sorry for the recent drop in interesting events and for the long time it takes me to update nowadays. But trust me when I say this chapter will really start kicking things off! Enjoy, and don't forget to review. I'd like to see some of your reactions. Get ready for a series of plot twists coming up next!**

* * *

Hands slipping. Slowly, slowly… The wet blood dripping down Jeremy's arm served only as a lubricant for Raven's slipping hand. Her body dangled in the air and eventually the only thing keeping her from falling to her death was Jeremy's injured hand.

"No!" Jeremy thought. "It can't… end like this! Rachel!" He stared down onto her fearful eyes and saw a look of terror, but also a hint of submission and acceptance. She knew she was to die now. "No, I won't let you die," he grunted. "You can't die, Rachel!"

Ignoring the wild, fiery pain from the crossfire arrow that was previously lodged snugly on his right shoulder, Jeremy used all the strength he had to pull Raven high enough to grab her hands with both his arms. "I won't let you die," he kept thinking despite the immense pain he was in. "You can't! I want… I want to know more about you! I need to see you smile! I need to watch you live your life… You can't die yet! You won't die!"

Screaming in agony, Jeremy called upon all his strength and lifted her up, slowly but surely. His strength quickly disappeared, however, and he found Raven's body slowly sinking back downwards. "Rachel!" he shouted. "I can't do it alone. You have to help me! Pull yourself up!"

"Jeremy!" he heard. "I—I can't…"

Shutting his eyes and crying with whatever strength he had left, "You can! You can, Rachel, because you have to. You have to live! Now pull!"

Slowly, he heard Raven grunt and cry out as she began to pull herself up. As Jeremy started pulling her up in a synchronized manner, Raven eventually reached the edge of the cliff and collapsed next to him. Smiling, Jeremy sighed in relief.

She was safe.

The two didn't talk for a while, both too busy recuperating from their previous fight. In time, Jeremy muttered, "How long will it be 'til we get our powers back?"

Ignoring the pain in her chest, Raven replied, "Probably another hour at least. It was a pretty strong spell." She glanced at Jeremy and, seeing his bleeding shoulder, remembered his injury. "Oh! Your arm, I completely forgot!"

"Oh this? No, no, it's alright," he waved off. "I'll be fine. It's nothing."

"I've been hit by those before. I know how painful it is," she replied, reaching into her belt. "Take off your shirt."

"…eh, what?" came the reply.

"Are you twelve, Jeremy?" she shot back, slightly annoyed. "Take off your shirt. We need to treat it."

"But there's no magic—" Jeremy started, but abruptly stopped as Raven waved a bottle of liquid at him.

"It's like a pain-killing potion," she replied as he slowly undressed. "It's magical, but not strictly speaking magic, so it'll work." Raven grimaced at the bloodied hole on his back and promptly opened the flask and poured the magic liquid on the wound. She ignored his cries of pain—it burned like alcohol—and continued to empty the vial. His cries eventually turned to sighs of relief as the potion started to take effect. Raven watched and smiled as the hole on Jeremy's shoulder slowly sealed itself and the blood washed away.

"That should do it," she muttered, carelessly throwing the empty flask onto the ground.

"Thank you," Jeremy whispered to her. "It feels better now."

"I should be thanking you," she returned. "You saved my life."

"Heh, it was nothing."

"No, it really was. Thank you. I don't know how to repay you."

"Come on," Jeremy chuckled lightheartedly. "You're my partner. It's what we do, right?"

Raven smiled cheerfully but then quickly frowned. "You're… not the only person who saved my life before…"

"Oh really?" he asked, turning around and facing her. "Are you that danger-prone? Who else saved your life before?"

Raven couldn't help but sigh as she remembered the boy who had saved her from Paen. "Beast Boy…"

The memories… they almost hurt. Just thinking about him… hurts now.

"Ah, I see."

"It's a long story. But if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here right now. I owe him a lot. But then he passed away… So suddenly."

Turning towards Jeremy and staring directly at him, Raven could almost see Beast Boy's face through his. "Do—do you know what it's like… to have someone so important to you just… disappear like that? Do you know what it's like when someone's just—just gone?" Feeling tears start to emerge in her eyes, Raven continued, "It's just—so wrong to feel the pain of losing someone. It hurts so much! He had—he had just saved my life then… then now he's gone and I'm still here. You had no idea he was going to die that day. You had no idea he was already dead the next morning. You were just talking to him yesterday and the next he's—he's gone! And the world keeps on spinning; it doesn't feel your sorrow. The world doesn't change one bit—except now there's one person missing." She sighed, "It's been ten years now… And he's still gone."

She didn't have time to react as Jeremy suddenly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her closely. And somehow… this hug, this one hug… was strangely comforting. There was something about it that gave her… a strange warmth.

Wiping her tears and furiously shaking her head, Raven said, "No, no, I can't do this. I shouldn't!" Gently pushing his arms away, she continued, "No, I can't cry. I can't."

A confused Jeremy asked, "Why not? Crying is… it's completely okay."

"No, but I can't!" she cried. "Sho—shortly before he died… I promised Beast Boy I'd be strong. I promised him I wouldn't cry anymore. I—I have to keep that promise, Jeremy. I can't cry, I won't!"

Sighing, the man placed both his hands onto the woman's shoulders and said to her, "Rachel. It's okay to cry. Sometimes, we just have to let those feelings and emotions out. We can't keep them all bottled in, especially for ten years! How are you going to live life with all those emotions kept in? Do you think Beast Boy would've wanted that?"

Raven shook her head, "No, he wouldn't." Remembering Soel's words, she echoed, "'Live every moment with all your might, whether it's gloomy, whether it's bright.' Soel told me that."

"Exactly! You have to live, letting your emotions out," Jeremy said. Looking around him, he whispered with a smile, "You know, Rach, we're on the edge of an abandoned world. Let your emotions out here."

"What?" she snapped, almost shocked.

"Just cry. Let all your feelings out. Out here, no one can hear you. This might be your only chance. Let your feelings out. Remember all your memories of Beast Boy. Remember all the times you two shared. Love him again. Don't be afraid. If you love something 'til it hurts, love it even more. Eventually all the hurt will go away but the love will keep going. Just stand there and cry it all out." Smiling, he nudged her towards the cliff.

Raven hesitantly stood up and contemplated it. Should she just… cry here? It's been so long since Beast Boy passed and in all that time she kept all her feelings—all her sadness and loneliness and sorrow locked inside her. Maybe Jeremy was right. Maybe it was time to let it all out.

Slowly, she walked towards the edge of the cliff.

And she cried.

She wept and cried and sobbed for Beast Boy was dead.

She didn't know quite how long she was crying, for she was reliving all of her memories of Beast Boy that time seemed to flow around her. As she remembered all the beautiful memories she shared with Beast Boy, she could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks as if in a race to reach her chin and drip onto the ground below.

She seemed to cry forever… and yet, she felt good once it was over. A somewhat cleansing, soothing, nostalgic feeling of euphoria rushed throughout her body. It was as if the tears had been drained from her, and her sadness had been drained as well, for she now felt much lighter, spiritually and physically. She almost couldn't help but smile a little as she fondly remembered Beast Boy's face. Turning back towards Jeremy, she couldn't stop a tiny giggle from escaping her lips.

"Good, Rach," he said to her. "That's how you smile."

Raven started walking back towards Jeremy, but then stopped. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small photograph and stared at it lovingly, caressing it in her fingers. Jeremy curiously walked towards her and examined it, himself, finding it to be a photograph of a boy in his late teens. To his surprise, the boy was completely green—every single part of his body was various shades of green. An even bigger surprise was that the boy was very reminiscent of Jeremy, himself. The boy had the same facial structure, the same ears, and the same smile. Most astonishing was his eyes, which were identical to Jeremy's own. Quite truthfully, Jeremy had never fully believed Raven whenever she mentioned how similar he was to Beast Boy, but seeing Beast Boy with his own eyes made him see it was very easy to mistake him for Beast Boy. They could've been twins.

Looking down at the ground as if in shame, he said, "Look, Rachel. I'm—I'm sorry if I remind you of him. I'm sorry that I look so much like him. I know that… every time you look at me, you'll always be saddened because I remind you of him. And for that, I'm sorry."

But Raven only shook her head. "No!" she rebuked. "No, you're wrong. You didn't make me sad. To be honest, I—I wasn't sad." Smiling, she continued, "I was happy. Whenever I see your face… I can imagine what Beast Boy would've looked like if he was still alive. You two were so similar. I imagined he would have all your features. When I look into your face, I can see what he would've looked like exactly. Although perhaps a little more green…"

"Erm, green?"

She chuckled, "It's a long story."

Suddenly, Raven felt a sudden force in her head as a voice started booming inside her mind. "Rachel!" the voice called. "It's Raphael. I'm talking to you through the pendants. This is it, we're ready. Head over to the Azarathean Castle and prepare to take down the Taboo! It's time we ended this!"

The voice stopped, and Raven immediately turned to Jeremy and said, "The Anti-Magic Spell must've worn off. Raphael just communicated to me through the pendants, which means Soel and Joshua made it there safely!"

"Really? What did he say?"

"He said to go to the Azarathean Castle. We're gonna ambush the Taboo and destroy them at last!"

"Alright. Let's go. Are you ready?"

She grinned mischievously and returned, "I'm always ready."

Closing her eyes and concentrating her soul-self, Raven transformed into a large, black, shadowy raven that engulfed Jeremy in its darkness. The shadowy raven shot upwards and flew across the barren Azarath towards the center of the world, where the Azarathean Castle lay. It flew quickly, several times faster than it normally did. In mere seconds, it already reached the entrance to Sector 1 and landed on the ground, disappearing and revealing Raven and Jeremy underneath its shadows.

"We'd better go in first," Raven said.

"Should we?" Jeremy asked. "Why not wait for the others?"

"We've already fought with the pendants. We know how it works. The others are still new to it. It's best that we go in first and weaken the Taboo to make way for the others to deal the finishing blows."

"Alright. Let's go."

The two raced towards the Castle, ready and poised for battle. Though they had just fought an intense fight mere hours ago, years of fighting gave them the experience to quickly recuperate and be ready for battle at any given time.

Crashing inside the Castle, they were immediately bombarded by a Taboo. "They were expecting us," Raven noted as she quickly cast a freezing spell on the Taboo and let Jeremy attack him. Two other Taboo came from the staircase above, one of whom Raven recognized as Monica, the Taboo who was prone to lightning magic. These two were much stronger than the previous Taboo, as their combined force was great. But still, Raven and Jeremy managed to subdue the Taboo.

The two ran up the stairs and saw the bald Taboo—Yang—conjuring another Anti-Magic Spell. "Oh no, you don't!" Raven heard a voice yell as she saw some large statues being telepathically lifted. Yang—caught off guard by the sudden new combatant—didn't have time to prepare before the statues all flew straight at him, knocking him out under a pile of rubble. A shocked Raven turned around to see Joshua running up the stairs with a wide grin on his face. "What? You started the party without us?" he snickered. And sure enough, right behind him were Raphael and the other rebels, some donning their own pendants.

She couldn't help but smile, as this really seemed like they were going to win back Azarath. But she noticed some people were missing. "Where's Sanae? And Soel?" she asked.

Joshua paused and looked behind him as if he was confused. "Soel didn't come. He's not much of a fighter. But Sanae… he was just here. Wonder where he went."

Raven, though puzzled, knew she didn't have time to wonder. More Taboo were waiting for them. "Alright," she cried to the rebels. "This is a fight to the finish. This is for Azarath!"

The rebels ran up the stairs, shouting in war-like fashion. As the battle progressed, more and more powerful Taboo came and came and the rebels were not nearly as powerful as Raven and Beast Boy were. But what the rebels lacked in quality they made up in quantity, for the Taboo—no matter how powerful they were—simply could not keep up with dozens of rebels attacking them at once. In short, the rebels were slowly but surely gaining the upper hand.

By the time the rebels had reached the 5th floor, Raven decided to go after the Conductor—Seymour—herself. If he was alone, she decided, she'd fight him, herself. If he was guarded by some other Taboo (which, Raven noted, was much more likely), she'd try to eavesdrop on their plans and wait for the rebels to reach him. When they do, he would send the last few remaining Taboo to deal with the rebels, leaving him open for a surprise attack from Raven, herself.

Making sure no one saw her, Raven made her way across the halls and into some secret passageways that only she knew. The Castle contained many secret passageways for instances such as these. Only Fathers and Ladies knew about them, and would use them to quickly travel through the Castle in special cases. Climbing into one such passageway by opening a secret door behind a portrait of the Sorcerer Leon, Raven discreetly made her way up the Castle quickly and quietly. She managed to reach the Throne Room, where she deduced Seymour was hiding, and crept across a passageway from the back of the room. She fingered the wall and found a door that would allow her to enter the room. The door was conveniently hidden behind a map of Azarath, right behind the crystal chair where Seymour was sitting. She quietly opened the door just enough for her to listen into the conversation between the two Taboo that were guarding him.

She observed the three men and saw that Seymour was sitting quite strangely. He was slouched down and wasn't moving; it was almost as if he was sleeping. She also saw that the two Taboo that were with him were staring at him intently, as if they were expecting something. Strangely, they did not seem to be the least bit surprised at his strange behavior.

"The Conductor… What's taking him so long?" she heard one say.

"He said he was going to break away from the others…" the other replied. "Perhaps he's having a tough time distancing himself from the other rebels?"

"Unlikely. He's always been good at sticking in the shadows. He could always sneak away whenever he wants to. But still, this is an awfully long time for him to send his mind into Seymour's body."

"'Seymour'? You bothered to remember the puppet's name?" the Taboo chuckled.

"Puppet or not, he deserves a name."

"He doesn't _deserve_ anything! He's just a puppet, a tool. A little toy to play around with to mess with the rebel's heads, making them think he's the Conductor. This 'Seymour'… he was about to be executed ten years ago before we snatched him out of his miserable little cell and made his existence useful to us."

"Does the end truly justify the means, though? Was it necessary to kidnap this man and take control of his mind with the mere intention of using his body as a puppet? Was it necessary, even, to invade Azarath? Couldn't there have been another way?"

Raven gasped ever so slightly. Seymour… wasn't the Conductor after all? He was only… a puppet? She continued to listen, hoping to gain more valuable information.

"You're too soft. You do remember what our ultimate goal is, right? You remember why we are doing this right?"

"Of course I do. How could I forget?"

"All this—draining Raven's power, invading Azarath, our future plans to destroy Polaris where Raven works and assassinate its president before he finds out we still exist, and finally, Via Purifico—all this is part of the Conductor's master plan, one he's been creating for eleven years. For eleven years he's been perfecting Via Purifico and placing checkmates on every single possible thing that could go against him. He knew Azarath would be a threat so he destroyed it. He knew the president of Polaris would be an even greater threat, so we will assassinate him in time. But the Conductor's greatest threat—Raven, the Chosen One—still remains unchecked. In due time, she, too, will fall. But until then, nothing is guaranteed. That is why we must do whatever it takes to prevent the Conductor's goal from failing."

"I see…" the first Taboo mumbled, before suddenly jumping up and pointing at Seymour's face. "He's coming to. The Conductor's making contact!"

And sure enough, Raven could see Seymour's body begin to stir, flinching and shaking as it tried to sit up. She heard a voice come out from the body, and though it was clearly Seymour's, there was something very strange about it—making it sound almost muffled or static-like.

"Can—can you hear m—me?" Seymour said.

"Yes, sir," said the second Taboo. "But it's not clear. Is something wrong?"

"There—there seems to be some kind of interference," Seymour replied. "I ca—ite tell where it—oming from. I'm alone. I thin—it's best I come there myself."

"Yes, sir!" the two Taboo said to Seymour's body before it slouched down on the chair—lifeless once again.

Seconds later, a small, slight rumbling sound startled Raven as a dark, shadowy cloud of smoke emerged from thin air next to the throne where Seymour lay. The cloud smoke soon dispersed, revealing beneath it a man dressed in the Taboo's black jacket. The man's face was concealed under his hood and was kept out of Raven's vision.

"You're here, sir," one of the Taboo greeted him. "What shall we do now? The rebels have attained special pendants that bear the same glyph as ours. They are essentially using our power against us!"

The Conductor lowered his head and breathed, "Let us escape. Let us retreat."

"Re—retreat?" the other Taboo exclaimed. "But… us? Retreat because of _them_? The very idea is preposterous!"

The man merely turned to the Taboo that had just spoken and said, "Retreating is a tactic, not a flee. Surely we can defeat them, but they have grown far too powerful and half of our members have already been knocked out, taken by surprise by the rebels' new power. We shall retreat; making them think we have been eliminated and giving them a false sense of security. After a few days, we shall strike again, making sure to exterminate every single soul on this world."

The two Taboo nodded and one of them asked, "And what of Via Purifico? Have you absorbed enough of Raven's power?"

"Over the course of the past few weeks I have been in enough contact with Raven to slowly absorb her power without her noticing. I believe I have taken enough of her power for Via Purifico. Unfortunately, it still needs refining." Raising his head and looking up at the ceiling, as if it held the answers he needed, the Conductor continued, "Via Purifico is like a diamond. Raven's power is like a rock. Raw energy is filled with potential, but is lifeless and dull. It must be refined, compressed, and beautified into small much more beautiful and useful. Via Purifico must be the most beautiful diamond in order to fully work, and so it must still be refined. I have been refining it for ten years and I believe it is quite nearly finished." Looking back towards the two Taboo, he ordered them, "Telepathically communicate with the others to teleport away, making it seem like they have been destroyed. Meet me in our base on Earth. Wait for me there; I might be a while. As for him—" he nodded towards the comatose Seymour, "—take him as well. We'll need him."

"Yes sir!" the Taboo nodded as the Conductor briskly disappeared in smoke once more.

Raven stood hidden behind the portrait in utter shock. What was going on? So many questions filled her mind. Seymour wasn't the Conductor after all? He was only used as a puppet? That man—the _real_ Conductor—who was he? He had been absorbing her power? For what? What was the Taboo planning and why was _she_ somehow involved? How was the company she worked in—Polaris—involved in all this? Polaris was an interplanetary paranormal investigation government program. What did it—or more specifically its president—have anything to do with the Taboo? But, most importantly, what was "Via Purifico"? From the sound of it, Raven could tell it seemed bad—very bad. What did the Taboo intend to use this Via Purifico for? All these questions… and so few answers.

…

It wasn't long before the Azarathean Castle was filled with cries of cheer and joy as the rebels celebrated their victory. The Grand Hall was filled with men, women, and children of all ages, raising their crossfires and throwing their hats into the air. Everywhere the room was filled with, "We've done it!" and "Azarath is ours!" One man was telling his friends, "I swear to you that one Taboo was killed because of _me_! I remember I fired an arrow at him and he blew up in smoke!" while another was saying, "Did you see that fire spell that Raphael shot at that one Taboo? It was wicked amazing!" while yet another was saying, "All that Taboo-killing is making me thirsty. Soel! One drink, please!" (For Soel was going around passing Azarathean wine to all the people. A side note: Azarathean wine is specially made to be richer and more luscious than Earthly wine. It is twice as satisfying and half as alcoholic.)

Raphael was busy talking to some of the top rebels, congratulating them on their work. "No, no, the person we should congratulate is you, Raphael!" Jeremy exclaimed. "You were the one who shot all those arrows at Seymour! He couldn't even stand up before he screamed and exploded into smoke!"

"Yes, I suppose I should congratulate you," Joshua remarked. "Though _I_ probably could've done better, it honestly wasn't a half-assed job you did. Doubtless you performed better than Rachel ever could."

"Wait…" Jeremy interjected. "Where is Rachel?"

Raphael looked around in worry. "Wasn't she… just here?"

Jeremy's eyes flashed in fear as he searched for her. "Rachel?" he called. "Rachel!"

Sanae suddenly walked up from behind Raphael and said coolly, "What seems to be the matter?"

Jeremy looked back and glared at him. "You!" he said. "Where have you been this entire time?"

"Me?" Sanae replied, acting as if he was hurt. "Why, I was fighting. Didn't you see me? Didn't you notice?" His face remained unchanged and he spoke very nonchalantly.

"No," Raphael said. "Honestly, I don't think any of us had seen you here. Where were you all this time, Sanae?"

The man only replied, "I am the leader of this entire group. It wouldn't make sense if I wasn't in the fight to take back our world."

"Oh shut up," Jeremy said between gritted teeth as he approached Sanae. "Where's Rachel? You know, don't you?"

Sanae looked at him straight in the eye and said snarkily, "Who am I? Rachel's keeper?"

As this conversation was going, Raven had stumbled into the Grand Hall. The first person she saw was Jeremy, and for some reason, she felt so relieved, seeing him still alive and well. He seemed to be relatively undamaged, except for a small scratch across his face. She smiled and called out to him, "Jeremy!"

All the men present looked back at her, with Sanae snickering, Raphael sighing in relief, and Jeremy rushing towards her, calling out her name. "Rachel!" he cried as he ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her body. "You're alive!"

"Of—of course I am," she replied, placing her arms around him. "I'm strong, remember?"

"I'm—I'm so glad you're safe…"

"Uh, Jeremy," Raven said awkwardly. "There's something you should know about me… I don't really do hugs…"

"Oh! Sorry!" Jeremy blushed as he let go of her. Smiling clumsily, he shook her hand.

Turning her attention towards the other men, she told them that she and Jeremy would have to go now and that they'll return the next day.

Raphael, Joshua, and Soel greeted them goodbye but just before Raven left, she asked to speak with Sanae in private.

"What can I help you with, Rachel?" Sanae breathed.

"Sanae, I've overheard a conversation between the Conductor and the Taboo," she said.

"You—you did?" Sanae said, shocked. "What—what did they say?"

"I didn't understand all of it, but I know they're still alive. In reality, they just retreated and now they're planning to attack again. I need you to tell the others to always be ready for a surprise attack, alright?"

"I understand. We'll be ready, Rachel," he said, smiling. "And the Conductor, whoever he is, we'll find him and kill him."

Raven smiled. "Thanks, Sanae. I can count on you."

Going back and giving the others a final goodbye, she conjured a portal and entered it along with Jeremy.

…

"Argh, finally we're done!" Jeremy yawned as he and Raven stood in his office. "Finally back on Earth!" It was dark outside, probably around 9:00, and the two Polaris agents both felt they deserved a nice long sleep.

"Wow," Raven said. "We've done it. Azarath is ours again. At least for now, the Taboo are gone."

"Yeah!" he said. Suddenly frowning, Jeremy added, "But that means… we won't be partners anymore."

"Oh…" Raven sighed. "You're right. I completely forgot."

"Well… that's alright. We'll still see each other every now and then, right?"

"Yeah, of course! Of course." The two were silent for a while, then Raven said, "I guess I can marry Cyborg now that my case is pretty much done."

"…Yeah."

"…"

"…Rach."

"Yes?"

Jeremy turned to her and asked her, "Do you love Cyborg?"

She smiled and replied, "Of course. I'm marrying so I have to love him, don't I?"

"Well, what is it about Cyborg that you like? Why… why do you love him?"

"Hmm…" Raven contemplated the question for a moment. "Well… Cyborg is strong and polite and kind. He's trustworthy, dedicated, loyal."

Jeremy chuckled and said under his breath, "That's not love…"

"What?" Raven exclaimed. "What'd you say?"

"Haha, it's nothing," he laughed. "It's just… I believe true love is when there is no reason. When you truly love someone, you can't explain why. You just do. To me, that's what true love means."

Suddenly, Raven remembered a memory from long ago, suddenly triggered by Jeremy's words.

_She remembered when she was at her table in the banquet in Azarath. She remembered Jane telling her about this wonderful person she had met. "He's so cute and handsome and strong," Raven remembered Jane saying. "I think I'm in love." Raven smiled and whispered to herself, "That's not love." As Raven stared at Beast Boy dining with her, she whispered to herself, "Love is when there is no explanation. You don't know why or how you love them. All you know is it feels right." As Beast Boy smiled at her, Raven smiled back happily. "That's true love."_

Now staring back at Jeremy, she realized something she didn't want to admit.

"No… that can't be right," she said. "I—I don't believe in that. Why—why are you so interested in my life all of a sudden?"

"Nothing," Jeremy replied. "I was only curious?"

"Only curious? How dare you! What gives you the right to talk about my fiancée like that? Of course I love him. Of course!" Raven realized her words sounded far harsher than she intended, but she didn't stop.

"Rachel, I'm just making conversation, alright?" he replied, raising his voice slightly. "And besides, I don't want you to have to marry someone you don't really love."

"Why are you so interested in my love life, then? It has nothing to do with you so why do you care?"

"Rachel!"

"You don't even know me that well and you act as if you care about me so much! Well stop, alright? Cyborg loves me and I love him."

"Rachel! I—"

"Just stay out of it! Who I marry has nothing to do with you so why do you care?"

"Because I love you!"

"Wh—what?" Raven gasped, clenching her pants and widening her eyes. "What—did you say?"

Jeremy sighed and slowly shook his head. "I love you," he repeated.

"J—Jeremy…"

"I don't know why… I don't know how… We've only barely met but I—I love you. It's like… like I've met you already in a past life or a past dream. It's like the universe is telling me… telling me you're… Something inside me just makes me…" He sighed and repeated one last time, "I love you."

Reaching inside his pocket, Jeremy pulled out a small Tarot card, engraved "The Lovers", and showed it to her. "Remember this card? It's yours, wasn't it? I pulled out the same card."

She gasped in horror. "Je—Jeremy…"

"Tell me," Jeremy said, approaching her. "Who do you love, truly? Do you really love Cyborg? Or… do you love someone else? Tell me, who do you love?"

Trying to answer but not knowing what to say, Raven could only manage to shake her head.

"The one she loves is me," a voice said from behind her, a voice she recognized far too easily.

Cyborg walked up from behind her and grabbed her arm.

"Cyborg, what're you doing here?" she cried.

"I was waiting for you. We have dinner plans."

"What?" she cried. "No we don't!"

"I made them while you were gone. We're leaving."

"Cyborg!" Raven cried.

"Let her go," Jeremy said, pulling Raven's arm out of Cyborg's grasp. "She goes wherever she wants to go."

Pulling Raven aside and grabbing Jeremy's shirt, Cyborg glared at him, saying, "She is my future wife. She wants to go where I want to go. I don't need you to interfere with our relationship."

"Cyborg!" Raven cried, pulling him out. "Leave Jeremy alone. Let's go."

As Cyborg and Raven walked out the Polaris building and into his car, Cyborg drove the two of them down the streets of New York.

"You're not seeing him anymore, are you?" he asked.

"Maybe for one or two more days," Raven said back. "Then our case is over. I'd be partners with Lee and John again."

"That's good," Cyborg said. "I don't want you anywhere near that guy."

"Cyborg," she said. "What do you have against Jeremy? What has he done to you?"

"Nothing! It's just that I can't trust him with you," Cyborg said, avoiding eye contact with Raven. "I—I hear he's a playboy. Can't trust that kind of person with my fiancée."

"Oh, but you can't trust me? I already promised you I'd marry you."

"…Then let's get married tonight."

"What?" Raven cried.

"I'll find the nearest chapel. We're getting married. Tonight you're becoming my wife."

"Are you crazy?"

"…Maybe I am. But only because of you."

"Cyborg, let me go! Let me go home."

"You're staying here!"

"No! I can't do this, not now!"

"Why?" he cried. "Are you in love with Jeremy now? Are you in love with him just because he looks like Beast Boy?"

"Cyborg!"

"It's been ten years since Beast Boy died. Get over him! Tonight you're becoming my wife!"

Without thinking, Raven opened the passenger door and jumped out the car. "Rachel!" Cyborg cried. His car's tires screeching as it came to a stop, Cyborg turned the car around and drove back towards Raven. But Raven had only one goal in her mind: she had to get away from Cyborg. She had to be alone. Running away, she saw a cab coming in her direction and she bade it to stop. Cyborg drove as fast as he could, but it was too late. Raven had already entered the cab.

In tears, Cyborg cried as he saw the cab drive away, "Rachel! Come back! I'm sorry! Rachel!"

…

Jeremy sat in his apartment in silence, thinking about what he had just done and regretting every word of it.

"Rachel…" he whispered.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Reaching over to pick it up, he saw that it was Raven's phone calling him. "Hello?"

"J—Jeremy?" he heard Raven whimper.

"Rachel?" he said. "Are you okay?" He was only answered by the sound of her crying. "Where are you?"

"I—," she said. "I really don't know. I'm in front of… some kind of movie theater…"

"Stay there!" he said. "I'll find you!"

…

Raven sat on the bench in front of the movie theater for what seemed like hours. She had no idea where the cab had dropped her off. She had never been in this part of New York before. The only person she could think about calling was Jeremy.

She sat there thinking about many things. Would she still marry Cyborg? Of course she would, she had to. She had already promise Cyborg she'd marry him. She can't go back on her word now!

But what about Jeremy? He… he said he loved her. Did she… did she love him, also? No, she can't. She can't love anyone else other than Cyborg…

Sniffling, Raven heard a man call her name, "Rachel…"

Standing up abruptly, she turned to see Jeremy standing next to her. Seeing her in tears, Jeremy wrapped his arms around her and embraced her. And somehow… this hug, this one hug… was strangely comforting. There was something about it that gave her… a strange warmth.

A warmth that dearly reminded her of Beast Boy.

…

In an airport in New York City, a woman by the name of Sarah Prynne walked out of the airplane, carrying her luggage with her. Smiling, she ran towards the window and gazed at the bright lights and tall skyscrapers of New York.

Sighing, she said to herself, "New York… It's been so long. How long has it been since I've last been here? Ten years now? Ten years since I've met Garfield…"

Reaching inside her pocket and pulling out her phone, she dialed a number and waited as it rang. After a few seconds, she heard a voice say, "We're sorry, but we are not available now. Please leave your name and message after the beep. We will return your call. _Beep_."

Sarah Prynne cleared her throat and said, "Jeremy? It's me. I've just arrived. I have the key to your apartment, so I guess I'll meet you there. Call me when you hear this, alright? Bye!"

~Memories in my Heart~


	14. Hidden Truth x Earth

**Booya! Major plot twist time! Read on, read on, read on. I assure you, you'll be begging to find out what happens next after this chapter!**

* * *

There are times when one's mind is simply too full of things to think about that it becomes impossible for one to think. For Raven, this was one of those times. Cyborg, her fiancée, had threatened her, trying to force her to marry him because he had not trusted her. But now, she was in the car of the man who caused Cyborg's insecurities. She was in the car of the man who not only looks exactly like her first love, but who had also just told her he loved her a mere hour ago. Was any of this… right? Was it the right thing to do? Should she stay here in the car of another man while she was already engaged? So many questions, and yet Raven could not find the strength to think of any of them. She was simply too exhausted both physically and emotionally to do anything.

The two said nothing during the car ride, for there was simply nothing to say. Upon reaching his apartment, Jeremy parked his car and led Raven to the door. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a keychain, and fumbled with it until he found the right key. Unlocking the door, Jeremy stuffed the keys into his pocket again and opened the door. But as the door opened, both he and Raven were surprised to find a woman on the other side, staring at them and equally surprised. The woman was probably somewhere in her early to mid—fifties and had brown hair that reached her shoulders. The woman—Sarah Prynne—looked at Jeremy in surprise, then smiled and hugged him. "Jeremy," she said, smiling.

"Hi, Mom," Jeremy affectionately said back, placing his arms around the woman as well. "When'd you arrive?"

"Oh, just now. Come on in. It's your apartment after all."

Sarah Prynne gestured the two in. She and Raven then sat down on the sofa while Jeremy went to make some coffee.

"So," Sarah started. "I've heard my Jeremy broke up with Terra. Such a pity, after the many years they've spent together." Looking up towards Raven and studying her, she said, "Are you his new girlfriend now? I mean I know my son can pick up women, but I'm pretty disappointed in him that he got over such a great girlfriend so fast."

"Oh no, no, no," Raven said abruptly. "I'm—uh—I'm not, definitely not Jeremy's girlfriend. I'm just his friend. Actually, not really his friend. I'm his partner in Polaris." Extending her hand, Raven stammered, "My—my name is Rachel. Nice to meet you."

"Sarah Prynne," the woman answered, smiling. "Likewise."

"Umm, Prynne? I thought it would be Rousseau, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, no. I didn't take my husband's name. 'Sarah Rousseau' never really appealed to me. He passed away a few years back when Jeremy was in high school, anyway."

"Oh, I see. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Raven struggled to find another topic to talk about, and was choosing between "So what do you do?" and "Your son is a very capable partner," when Jeremy came in with three cups of hot coffee. Giving the two women their respective cups, Jeremy sat down between them and said, "It's good to see you, Mom."

"It's good to see you too, Jeremy," she replied. "How has your work been?"

"Very good. We're almost done with our case. It was a huge success and was not possible without Rachel."

"Oh please!" Raven replied. "It wouldn't be possible without you either!" Turning towards Sarah Prynne, she said, "Your son had saved my life during our mission. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here right now. You should be very proud of him, Ms. Prynne."

"Indeed I am," Sarah Prynne smiled. "Oh Jeremy, before I forget, I won't be here tomorrow. There's somewhere I have to go first. I wanted to visit this place for a little while, okay?"

"Sure," he said. "I'm a big boy." Sipping his coffee, Jeremy said to his mother, "You know, Mom, there was this funny misunderstanding between Rachel and I when we first met. Apparently she and her friends knew someone who looked a lot like me."

"Oh?" replied Sarah Prynne as she sipped her coffee, not fully paying attention. "How interesting."

"Yeah. What was his name again? Beast Boy?"

"What—" the woman gasped, suddenly looking up at the man. "B—Beast Boy?"

Furrowing his brows, Jeremy answered her, "Yes, Beast Boy. Do... do you know him?"

"Oh... no I don't," she stammered. "I—I just thought that was a funny name, that's all." Lifting up her cup of coffee, her hand shook furiously as she brought it to her lips. Her hand shook so violently that she dropped the cup, letting it fall down and shatter on the table.

"Mom!" Jeremy cried in surprise. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine," she said as Raven ran into the kitchen to get some towels. "I must be a little jet-lagged, still."

As Raven came back with towels in her hands and used her powers to clean up the mess and magically fix the cup, Jeremy urged his mother to go to sleep in the guest room, which she quickly agreed.

"Sorry about that," Jeremy said to Raven as his mother went to sleep. "It's a long flight from Paris to here so she must be pretty sleepy."

"It's fine, trust me," she said back. Looking behind Jeremy, she noticed a small piano placed against a wall. Though she had been in Jeremy's apartment before, she could've sworn she had never seen that piano before. "I didn't know you played piano, Jeremy."

Looking back at it, he said, "Oh I don't. That piano is my mother's. She sent it here from France and wants to keep it in my apartment until her own house is ready."

Raven curiously walked over to the piano and examined it, gliding her fingers over the white keys. Seeing her touch the piano so lovingly, Jeremy asked her, "Do... you play any?"

"Oh?" Raven said, looking up at him. "No, not really. I just know this one song."

"Play it for me," he said, smiling. "Come on, don't be shy."

Smiling awkwardly, Raven said, "I don't know. I'm not that good."

"Aww come on," he said, sitting down on the piano seat and motioning her to sit down next to him. "However bad you play, you'll still be better than me."

Giving up, Raven sat down on the chair next to Jeremy and placed her fingers on the smooth, cool keys of the piano. She took a deep breath and began playing. A slow, sad melody emerged from the piano, filling the room with a bittersweet air. It was the one song Raven knew how to play on the piano, the song Beast Boy had once played for her. Lovers' Tears—a song she had learned shortly after his death as a way to keep him in her heart. Every time she played that song, the melody invoked all her memories of him. Just playing this song made her so happy and so sad at the same time.

But this time, everything was different. This time, there was a man with her who looked exactly like Beast Boy. Ten years ago, Beast Boy sat on a piano and played this song to her. Now, ten years later, she was playing this same song to Beast Boy. Only... this man wasn't Beast Boy at all. As much as she wished, this man wasn't Beast Boy. The two were too different in too many ways. Even the presence of Jeremy's mother confirmed this: for Raven knew Beast Boy's mother, Marie Logan, had died many, many years ago.

As she finished playing, Jeremy gasped, "Wow. That was really good. And you say you were only alright. What's this song called?"

"Lovers' Tears," Raven replied.

"Hmm... Lovers' Tears..." the man thought out loud. "I think I've heard it before."

Raven turned to him in surprise. The man only chuckled and said, "My mother plays a lot. I probably just heard her play it."

"Yeah..." Raven mumbled. "That's probably it."

Raven scorned herself. It was silly of her to think it could've been more than just coincidence that Jeremy knew a song that Beast Boy knew as well. She knew by now they were two different people.

The night passed and Jeremy eventually took her back to her apartment. As he came back to his own, he immediately walked towards the piano and sat down before it. Curiously, he gently placed his right hand on the keys of the piano. "That song…" he mumbled. "'Lovers' Tears' was it called? It sounded really nice. What note did it start with? Ha, I kind of regret refusing all those piano lessons from Mom."

Jeremy gently poked at a note and was disgusted to find how wrong it sounded. "No, not this one… Was it higher?" He started playing each key, steadily going up or down until he finally reached the right note. "Aha!" he cried. "Okay, this is the first note. Now for the next…"

He quietly hummed the next note and found the right key on the piano on his third try. He then pressed another key and was surprised to find it was the right one. His fingers started moving almost as if on their own accord as they found exactly which notes to play. Within seconds, Jeremy suddenly managed to play the first few lines of the song without hitting one wrong note. "Wow!" he smiled at himself. "Played piano for first time and I can already play a song. I must be a genius!"

He chuckled and laughed at himself. "Have you ever heard of that? Being able to instantly play an instrument…" His smile slowly started to fade into a grim frown. "That's… kind of impossible, isn't it?"

He lifted his right hand and stared at it strangely. "It's weird… My fingers were moving—hitting all the right notes… as if they knew exactly how to play that song. As if… they were meant to play that song. Or as if they've played it before…" Gripping his hand tightly, he whispered, "How did I do that…?"

"_Apparently she and her friends knew someone who looked a lot like me. What was his name again? Beast Boy?"_

_"What—" the woman gasped, suddenly looking up at the man. "B—Beast Boy?"_

_Lifting up her cup of coffee, her hand shook furiously as she brought it to her lips. Her hand shook so violently that she dropped the cup, letting it fall down and shatter on the table._

"Mom…" he whispered to himself.

_"I—I just thought that was a funny name, that's all."_

"Why did she react that way?" he thought aloud. "She was surprised and scared when she heard his name… But why did she deny knowing him?"

Looking down once more at his hand, Jeremy continued, "That song… If that song was important to Raven, then it must have to do with Beast Boy. He must've played it for her once. How did I manage to play it perfectly on my first time?"

Staring intently at his hands, he widened his eyes as he saw a small rash-like blotch between his thumb and forefinger. Examining it closely, he saw that it was a small blotch of green skin. "This rash…" he thought. "I've been getting these green rashes for as long as I can remember."

"_Hello? Dr. Bastion? Yeah, it's me, Jeremy Rousseau. Remember my weird rash thing? It's back again."_

"_Well like I said before," Dr. Bastion replied over the phone. "Use the medication I gave you. You still have it?"_

"_Yeah, but is there any way to keep the rash from coming back? It's a little annoying."_

"_Jeremy, I've been your doctor ever since you were a little boy in France. I know everything about you from your allergies to your weight. Trust me, you're going to have to depend on my medication."_

"_Alright, thanks. Goodbye."_

_Hanging up, Jeremy sighed as he treated his rash with his medication. Within a few minutes, the rash will disappear, he knew._

"Dr. Bastion said these green blotches were a small birth defect. But… is that true? Beast Boy… he was completely green. His skin is green, his hair is green… Mine aren't, but they occasionally turn green in small places. His eyes are the same as mine: bright green. Is that… such a coincidence?"

He stared back at the rash on his hand. It had turned a bright green now. The same shade of green as Beast Boy's skin.

That was it.

Jeremy nearly ran out the apartment building and into his car. Speeding down the street as fast as he could, he contemplated the thoughts he was thinking. "Is it possible?" he thought. "That maybe… Beast Boy and I are somehow connected? Maybe… it's not a coincidence we look so much alike."

Jeremy parked in front of the Polaris building and ran inside (for it was open for agents 24/7) and into the elevator. "Maybe… I'm a clone of Beast Boy. But for what reason?"

As the elevator doors opened, he ran into his office. "Maybe… he's my long-lost twin brother. But how?"

He quickly switched on his computer and searched the Polaris files. Jeremy remembered Raven had told him that before his death, Beast Boy was a teacher at the Young Superheroes' Academy nearby. Searching through the Young Superheroes' Academy files, he swiftly found the file marked "Garfield Logan." And gazing at the profile picture of Beast Boy, who looked so much like him, Jeremy whispered ghastly, "Or maybe… somehow… _I'm_ Beast Boy…"

His eyes darting back and forth across the computer screen, he read, "_Beast Boy. Alias: Garfield Logan._ Is it possible…?

"_Eyes: Green._ That's my eye color." Jeremy bit his lip, hoping dearly it was just a coincidence.

"_Blood type: AB_. That's my blood type." He clenched his fist and told himself a lot of people have that blood type. It doesn't really mean anything…

"_Date of Birth: June 2._ That's… my…" Jeremy gritted his teeth and tried to convince himself that it wasn't true. But—he realized as he let out a long sigh—that it couldn't have been a coincidence that he shared the same birthday with Beast Boy.

"_Residence:_" he read. "_Titans Tower, Jump City, California_." Jeremy stood up from his desk and furrowed his brows. "California… a couple hours from here by plane. If I leave now, I'd make it by tomorrow morning." He opened his eyes and headed out the door. There was someplace he needed to go.

…

The Next Morning

Raven left Cyborg's apartment with a small smile on her face. She and he had just made up from last night, with Cyborg sincerely apologizing for his actions and agreeing to push back the wedding to as far as Raven wished. To make things even better, she and the other Titans were going to have dinner tonight at one of her favorite restaurants.

Hearing her phone ring, she answered it with a cheerful, "Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Roth, this is Ms. Drew. I'm calling to inform you that Mr. Rousseau has called in sick today and won't make it to your trip to Azarath."

"Oh? Oh, alright. Thank you."

Hanging up, Raven wondered if Jeremy was really sick or not. Either way, it didn't matter. She resolved to keep her distance from Jeremy to avoid his feelings for her. It was better this way; she didn't want to risk having another argument with Cyborg about him.

…

Jeremy's phone beeped as he stepped out of the cab. Checking his phone, he saw it was a text message from Terra. He contemplated ignoring it, but decided it was better to check to see what she had to say. "Hey Jeremy," it read. "Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Rachel, and I are having dinner at _Javu's_ at 8:00. You can come if you want! Hope you can! :)"

Jeremy scoffed. She was almost pitiable, not realizing he was not going to get back with her. Then again… if Raven was coming… Maybe…

Jeremy texted back, "I'll be there," and stuffed his phone in his pocket. Looking up, he gazed at the massive Titans Tower in awe. "So this was Beast Boy's home, huh?" Walking up to it, he easily opened the old door and held his breath as he stepped inside.

The Titans Tower was long abandoned, having no owners ever since the new Teen Titans left it. It wasn't trashed, but was in dire need of a proper cleaning the entire tower was covered in dust and cobwebs. Jeremy walked across the living room, examining the large TV, the sofas, the tables, and the kitchen. All this seemed a bit… strange… Like he'd seen it in a dream before. Not exactly "seen", either; more like he felt he'd been somewhere faintly reminiscent of this room.

Heading up the stairs and down the halls, Jeremy was surprised to find there was something in the back of his head that seemed to _know_ where everything was. Following this strange instinct of his, he found his way towards a door at the end of a hall. Opening the door, he walked inside the bedroom which he knew had to be Beast Boy's.

Jeremy examined all the things that were in there, searching for anything that would convince him he was _not_ connected to Beast Boy in any way. Finding a CD on a desk next to the bed, Jeremy curiously placed it into a nearby CD player and pressed the 'Play' button.

He could faintly hear some piano music play; it was slow and soothing, but a little sad at the same time. He recognized it as that song Raven had played, "Lovers' Tears". As the words came, he felt his heart become heavy with a mysterious sense of sadness.

"_I know now that you're gone, I'll be alone._

_Alone with memories, my very own._

_Maybe someday you will return to me, my love._

_But through the lonely years,_

_I'll cry these lover's tears._

_I think of all the joy I used to know,_

_But now this happiness we share no more._

_I long for your embrace, your tender kiss—a moment of bliss._

_But for now I'll have to cry_

_These lover's tears._

_Come back to me once more my love_

_And please never leave me again._

_Until that day, I'll wait for you._

'_Til then my love, I know I'll never be the same_

_Wherever you may be, please hear this plea,_

_Come back and end these tears of misery—"_

He pressed the "Pause" button before the song finished. Something inside him… felt tortured, listening to that song. He couldn't bear hearing it any longer. Removing the CD, he quickly stuffed it into his pocket and walked out the room and down the stairs. He thought it was best that he left now.

Walking down the stairs and back into the living room, Jeremy pushed open the door…

…to find his mother on the other side. The two stared at each other in complete, utter shock.

"J—Jeremy?" Sarah Prynne stammered.

"M—Mom?" the man said back. "Wh—What are you doing here? This—This is Beast Boy's home."

"I—"

"You said you didn't know who Beast Boy was!" he cried in disbelief.

The woman sighed and frightfully whispered, "I'm sorry… Beast Boy…"

Shaking, Jeremy said to her, "Am… Am I… Beast Boy…?"

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy…" she said, tears emerging in her eyes.

Shaking his head, Jeremy cried, "No… No… That's impossible! I can't be… Beast Boy! No!"

No, he had to get away. He had to get away from all this, from her! Pushing her aside, Jeremy ran away as fast as he could, away from Beast Boy's home and away from that woman.

"Beast Boy! Beast Boy!" Sarah cried after him. "Beast Boy!"

No, he had to get away. He didn't think or know what to do. All he knew was he had to get away from all this… he had to get away from this "Beast Boy" who wasn't him… he had to get away from the woman who was calling the name that wasn't his.

…

Dr. Bastion felt knocked out from the plane ride from France to New York. Being a personal physician wasn't easy; he had to fly all the way to another country to properly take care of his patients, Sarah Prynne and Jeremy Rousseau. Of course, the pay is good, so he has to muscle through it.

The doctor was startled to hear the doorbell of his apartment ring. He had only moved here a week and he already has a visitor? Strange… Walking towards the door, he opened it to find Jeremy Rousseau standing before him.

"Ah, Jeremy!" the doctor cheerfully greeted. "Visiting me already, huh?"

"Yes," the man silently replied. "I need to talk to you about something. Something _very_ important."  
"Ask away, Jeremy."

"But—" Jeremy interrupted. "I ask that you refer to me by my real name from now on."

"Your… real name?" the puzzled doctor asked.

"Yes, my real name," he replied sternly. "Beast Boy."

The doctor stepped back in shock. "You—you know?"

He nodded. "But I need to know how and why."

Dr. Bastion sighed and walked towards his study, telling Jeremy, "Follow me." Jeremy followed him into the study, where he saw the doctor leaf through some files and pull out one marked, "Garfield Logan/Beast Boy." He handed the document to Jeremy, who opened it to find hospital records of Beast Boy. Looking at a picture on the upper right hand corner, Jeremy was surprised to see it was a photograph of Beast Boy, whose face was bloody and very damaged.

"I'm afraid I can only answer 'how'. Ten years ago, Beast Boy—that is, you—was in an accident. You were struck by a bus on New Year's Eve and suffered some serious damage. You were in deeply critical condition that all the doctors believed you'd be dead in a matter of hours and you were documented as dead. You would've been dead if you were a regular person, but your animalistic healing abilities saved your life. Your recovery was remarkable; you were fully recovered in little more than a month, fully functioning and ready to go. That is, except for one thing.

"You received a brain injury from the accident. Nothing too serious, but it did result in a case of retrograde amnesia—memory loss. You've completely forgotten nearly everything from before your accident except for various bits and pieces such as your name and the fact that you were supposed to meet someone. The doctors could barely contain you because you said you had to meet some girl. I forgot her name… it started with an 'R', I think?

"Rachel…" Jeremy said under his breath.

"The doctors searched for any documents of a 'Beast Boy' and they found you were a temporary teacher at the Young Superheroes' Academy nearby," Dr. Bastion continued. "They contacted the school and who happened to answer but your mother, Sarah Prynne? She was in shock in hearing you had nearly died and rushed over to the hospital as fast as she could. They informed her that you had lost most of your memories and referred her to me. You see, along with being a doctor, I also specialize in hypnosis. When patients who have experienced some kind of psychological trauma are diagnosed with memory loss, they come to me. Through hypnosis, I can slowly help them remember their life before the incident. It's a very delicate and careful process, but ultimately very successful.

"Your mother brought you to me, but gave me a strange request. She said that instead of helping you remember your former memories, she wanted me to implant new ones. She wanted me to give you false memories that you were a boy named Jeremy Rousseau who was born and raised in France. Though I asked her why, she refused to answer. The process was long and hard, but eventually I made you believe you were someone else.

"As I was working on you, your mother bribed the doctors at the hospital to keep you marked as 'deceased'. She then made plans to bring you to live in France with her and start a new life. Of course, she realized that a boy with green skin would stand out and might attract attention from anyone who's ever met Beast Boy before. She then had special state-of-the-art Gamma ray surgery done on you to remove the gene that caused you to turn green. The surgery was both not completely successful—they found that the gene could not be removed, but could be suppressed. The doctors managed to make the gene dormant and you were turned into a normal looking boy. They also developed a special medication that would suppress the gene in any areas were the green started to reappear. That's the medication I gave to you. They found that the gene was somewhat difficult to control in your hair and impossible to suppress in your eyes. Your eyes weren't a problem—people often have green eyes anyway—but to hide your hair, your mother had it dyed the dark red color it is now.

"And so your transformation was complete. You were no longer Beast Boy, but Jeremy Rousseau—a young man born and raised in France by two loving parents, Sarah Prynne and Arthur Rousseau. You were given memories that your father had passed away from lung cancer when you were in high school but you had many fond moments with him and loved him dearly. You were now a confident, intelligent young man who had a very bright future. Shortly after you've properly learned French—a task that was made easy when helped by hypnosis, you attended one of the finest colleges the country had to offer and you were initiated into Polaris.

"I, being the one sole person besides your mother to know this secret, was hired by her to be her and your personal physician. For ten years, you've never suspected a thing. And now, after ten years, it seems the truth has come out." Sighing, the doctor finished, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit relieved. I'm sorry, but this is all I know. If you have any more questions, you'd have to ask your mother."

Jeremy gritted his teeth and clenched his fist until it hurt. Any more questions? Any more questions? Of course he had more questions! His whole life turned out to be a lie and this man was asking him if he had any more questions? His mind was flooded with questions that he could barely think. He felt like he wanted to punch a wall. He had come here looking for answers but only found more questions. Why? Why did all this happen? Why did his mother do this? Why did his life change forever? Why, why, why?

Shaking from head to toe in anger and confusion, Jeremy couldn't help but let out one loud, horrific, "Why!"

…

Jeremy Rousseau walked inside _Javu's_ and scanned the tables for Terra and her friends. He was wearing an elegant black suit with a dark green tie rather than his regular red one. Finding Terra, he coolly walked towards the table and sat down next to her, greeting everyone who was there, including Cyborg. The others seemed shocked that he had arrived and instantly looked at Terra, who almost naively, "What? You said I could bring a date, right?"

Ignoring Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg's reactions to his arrival, Jeremy asked them, "Where's Rachel? Shouldn't she be here?"

"She is on her way," Starfire quietly replied.

Jeremy smiled and said to them, "Say, if you don't mind me asking, what was Beast Boy's relationship with Rachel? I've heard they were dating for a little while."

Robin nodded, "Yeah, they were."

"Interesting…" Jeremy said. "And what about his relationships with you guys? Was it good?"

"He was our best friend," Starfire said. "We loved him dearly and he loved us. It saddened us very much when he passed away."

"I see… And what about his relationship with Cyborg? Was it a good one?"

"We were best friends," Cyborg mumbled.

"Are you sure?" Jeremy asked with a menacing smile. "Did you two… ever fight about anything? Did you ever get into arguments? Did you two ever felt—even for an instant—that you hated each other?"

"That's enough!" Robin interrupted. "Jeremy, I don't think you should talk about our deceased friend like that."

Jeremy's smile widened into a more intimidating one. "Oh? But… how do you know he's dead?"

Robin was taken aback by the question. "What—what do you mean?"

"Let me ask you something. Did any of you see Beast Boy's body being buried?"

"No," Robin answered. "He was burned."

"Ah, even better! Tell me, did any of you see his body being burned? Or before the burning?"

"N—no. It's tradition in his family that no one sees the dead body at all. The last time we've seen him was when he was alive."

"Oh, I see," Jeremy chuckled. "So if you haven't seen his dead body, how do you know he's truly dead?" He watched in interest as the four people gazed at him suspiciously. "What if… Beast Boy was actually alive? What if he just suffered a case of amnesia and forgot everything? What if he lived the rest of his life not knowing who he was? What if he had changed his name and his appearance? What if he accidentally met his former friends once again? And…" he paused, staring at all of them with a deathly stare, "…what if he... was me?"

Dead silence, followed by the sound of Starfire gasping slightly and whispering, "B—Beast Boy…?"

Jeremy's deathly stare broke into amused laughter as he chuckled, "Ah, but too bad I'm not him. Wouldn't it be something if I was?" Seeing the others confused by his "humor", Jeremy decided it was best he left now that he had spooked everyone. Standing up, he greeted them all goodbye, ignoring Terra's protests that he stay, and walked out the restaurant.

Walking down the street towards his car, Jeremy caught sight of a woman walking towards him—a woman he recognized far too easily as Raven.

"_But you can't play piano!" she whispered back._

_Chuckling, he replied, "There's a lot about me you don't know." With these words, he placed his fingers on the delicate keys and they began playing._

Jeremy gasped and stepped back in shock and fear. What was that? Something inside him suddenly… came out. Was that… a moment from his past? Looking back at Raven, he heard the girl's voice again. _"But you can't play piano!"_ he heard from the back of his head.

"There's…" he mumbled, "…a lot about me that you don't know."

Gripping his fists tightly, Jeremy walked up to Raven—who was startled to see him—and grabbed her arm, pulling her aside. "We need to talk," he said.

"J—Jeremy?" she said. "What're you doing here? Look, we shouldn't talk anymore. I don't want to risk my relationship with Cyborg like last night."

"We need to talk!" he said, raising his voice. "It's important."

"I need to get inside before my friends start worrying!" Raven shouted, pushing Jeremy away softly. "I'm sorry, I can't talk. I don't want to talk."

"Well I do!"

"Why are you acting so unlike you, Jeremy?" she shouted.

Grabbing her shoulders, Jeremy whispered ghastly, "What's like me, then?"

"J—Jeremy?"

"What's like me? What am I like? How am I supposed to act, Rachel?"

"Jeremy…" she murmured.

"Rachel…" he said with a shaking voice. "I'm…"

"_Tomorrow," she said with a smile. "Meet me here tomorrow night at midnight, New Year's Eve. Then we'll tell each other. Promise?"_

"I'm…"

_With a smile, he answered, "Promise."_

"I'm Beast Boy."

**End**** Part 2**

~Memories in my Heart~


	15. Messages from the Two Beast Boys x Earth

**Updated fast enough for ya? Stay tuned, the story's climactic ending is getting closer and closer!**

* * *

**Part 3**

"I'm Beast Boy," the man said, gripping the woman's shoulders tightly as if it hurt just to say those three words.

"What?" the woman said back, placing her hands gently on the man's.

"I'm… Beast Boy," the man said, nearly choking on the painful words. "It's—it's me."

Slowly, the woman shook her head in disbelief. Taking his hands off her shoulders, she said to him angrily, "I can't believe you'd do this, Jeremy."

"W—what?"

"You know how much Beast Boy's memory means to me," Raven said with a hurt look on her face. "So why… why would you pull this act? Why would you pretend that you're him just so you'd get me to fall in love with you?"

"Wait, what—"

"I never thought you'd stoop this low."

"Rachel," he started, "That's not what I'm saying—"

"Look, just stop it!" she cried. "I know you're not Beast Boy. I know that now." She bit her lip, as if she was vainly trying to hold back her tongue. "If you had told me you were Beast Boy a few months ago, I might have believed you. But over time, I've come to see how different you to are. Though you two look alike, you and he are so different!" Sighing, she finished, "That's why I don't believe you. I know you are not Beast Boy."

She started to walk towards the restaurant, but finally added without turning back to face him, "Please, leave me alone now." She then walked inside the restaurant, leaving behind a broken Jeremy.

He just stood there in the middle of the sidewalk in the dark, the only source of light being a dimly lit lamppost nearby. He felt… crushed. Raven hadn't believed him. Though he spoke the truth, she merely disregarded them as lies. Earlier, Jeremy had had high hopes in telling Raven the truth and wondered how she'd react—he'd imagined she'd shake in joy and burst in tears, that she'd wrap her arms around him and never let him go, that she'd kiss his cheeks and whisper graciously, "Beast Boy. My Beast Boy. You're back at last!"

And yet… none of that happened. Instead, she called him a liar and a low, desperate man seeking attention from her. His heart dropped as he realized what had just happened—he had told her he was Beast Boy… and yet she didn't believe him.

It was a very crushing feeling, worse than any kind of rejection he had ever known before. He doubted Beast Boy had ever felt this destroyed in his life, either.

…

Heading back home, Jeremy unlocked the door to his apartment and went inside, crashing on the sofa. Sitting up abruptly as he watched his mother enter the living room from the guest room, he motioned her towards the seat next to him, saying politely, "Please, sit." The woman obeyed.

"Mother," he started, making sure to avoid eye contact with her. "Please, I'm not blaming you for anything. Dr. Bastion told me everything. But now… I need to know." He tried his best to keep his voice lowered and respectful. It was very hard to control his anger and he was very careful not to snap at her. "Why? Why did you do it? Why did you give Beast Boy—why did you give _me_ a new life instead of giving me back my old one? Why?"

Sarah Prynne sighed and stroked her forehead. "I guess you really do deserve the truth, don't you?" Clearing her throat, she explained, "Though I am your birth mother, Jeremy, I did not raise you. When you were conceived, your birth father and I had plans that he would cover our financial expenses while I attended college. We had plans to raise the most wonderful child in the most loving family. But then… your father—he was an agent in a secret government facility—he was killed in action, and that changed my life as well as yours forever.

"I could not raise you, and if I did you would have had a miserable life. And so I gave you up for adoption. You were found by a pair of scientists—very wealthy and loving. Unfortunately, they too soon died in an accident and you had somehow attained superpowers. Years passed and you eventually found your way to the Young Superheroes' Academy where I worked.

"When we reunited for the first time ten years ago, I was overjoyed to have met you again; I had waited eighteen years for the day I could see your face. But you… you weren't happy to see me. You hated me. When I told you the truth about our past, you—you absolutely hated me. You hated me for giving you away and for not trying harder to find you. Your words hurt me so, not because they were cruel but because they were true. I realized I had been a horrible mother, and so when I heard you had been in an accident and lost your memories, I jumped at the chance to be your mother like I was supposed to for eighteen years."

"And so you tore me away from my life?" Jeremy snapped, starting to lose control of his temper. "What about my life? What about my happiness? What about my friends? You think you could just take that away from me just so you could feel happy? Just so you wouldn't feel guilty?"

"You—you were happy?" Sarah asked, as full realization of what she had done dawned upon her. "I'm—I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that. When we had met, you told me you were miserable. You told me you had no friends." Looking away, she continued, "I—I had thought that because you didn't have a mother in your life, because you had no one to raise you, you were miserable and lonely. That's why I took you away, because I thought you would have a better life. I'm so—so sorry. I didn't realize how happy you already were. If I had known that… I would've left you alone."

"Well I was happy…" he muttered. "I was happy… and so was she."

Standing up, Jeremy announced, "I'm leaving."

"Jeremy," Sarah said. "Please forgive me. Let's… Let's start over again. Let's go back to France and be like we used to. Your mission is done, you have no more reason to stay here where all these sad memories lie. Let's—let's forget all about this and just go home!"

He left without answering her.

…

"You—" Dr. Bastion said, raising his eyebrows. "You want me to do what, now?"

Lowering his voice and sounding out every last syllable as if it meant the world to him, Jeremy repeated to the doctor, "Give me my memories back. Make me Beast Boy again."

"That's impossible!" the doctor exclaimed. "I'm sorry, Jeremy, but it cannot be done."

"Dr. Bastion!" he said. "Please, help me remember again. You have no idea how important it is that I remember!"

The elderly man sighed, "I know that you must want to regain your former memories very dearly. I don't blame you. But you must understand it is much too late."

"How is it too late? Just put all my memories back. Make me the person I once was. Make everything back to the way it was!"

"Jeremy," the doctor said calmly. "There are many reasons I why can't. There are so many things to consider and so many factors—hypnosis is a very delicate business. Right now I can think of namely three reasons: the first is that it has been ten years since your accident. Imagine how much a normal person could remember from ten years ago. Not a lot, right? Even if you hadn't lost your memory, you wouldn't have remember many details either way, which makes it all the harder for you to regain them.

"The second reason is that there could be some psychological disturbance as a result of conflicting memories in your subconscious. When helping an amnesiatic patient recover his memories or when placing new, false ones inside his mind, there is not as much risk of any psychological damage. Amnesia essentially erases the mind and provides a nice, clean slate for hypnotists to place memories into. But recovering memories for a patient who already has existing, conflicting memories… not so easy. Say it is possible and say you do recover all your memories. Now you have two sets of memories in your mind—in essence two completely different lives that you've supposedly lived. It might seem easy to separate the two memories at first, but they'd eventually merge together into one. Of course, I may be wrong; this kind of thing has never happened before and everything I'm saying is purely theoretical. But just imagine the worst-case scenario: your two sets of memories merge and you have trouble differentiating one from the other. Eventually they'd overlap; you'd remember things from one memory happening in the other. All this one overwhelm your mind—possibly leading to some unprecedented side effects. I'm talking Alzheimer's, psychological trauma, short-term memory loss. Like I said, all theoretical—there's a good chance I'm wrong. But still, the risk is undeniably great.

"The last and most important reason is that you can't regain your memories through hypnosis by yourself. You need someone from your past to help you. Your memories aren't gone—they are all there stored in your subconscious but are hidden so deep they are nearly impossible to recall like normal memories. Imagine your subconscious is like a sea of water and your memories are like fish. Normally, the fish are floating right at the surface and when we recall a certain memory, we are snatching the fish out of the water. Your former memories, however, are hidden deep under the water that they can't be snatched up so easily. You can't dive into the sea and grab the fish that way so therefore, you'd need a fishing pole to properly pull a fish out of the water. Hypnosis is like that. Our memories are linked together like a chain, so in order to help patients regain their memories, we must first remind them of a particular event—especially a very important one. As the patient remembers that event, they start to automatically remember more and more, eventually recovering nearly all their memories. Fishing all the fish, so to say. But in order to start that process we must start with a memory. In normal cases, we'd ask a family member or close friend to provide us the memory and help the patient remember. But your case was different. Your mother knows nothing about your past so she cannot help you. The only ones who know your past are your friends, and they aren't willing to help you remember. You can't do this alone, Jeremy. But unfortunately no one can help you."

The doctor let out a long, tired sigh, adjusted his glasses, and sat back in his chair. "I'm very sorry, but it looks like regaining your memories isn't an option."

Jeremy was despondent. "There's… no way?"

Dr. Bastion shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jeremy."

"No," he replied, gritting his teeth. "That's… that's not my name. My name… My name is Beast Boy! I'm Beast Boy!"

Closing his eyes, the other man said back to him, "No, you're not. You are Jeremy Rousseau. I apologize for the fact that I cannot give you your memories back, but you must face the truth: so long as you do not remember your life as Beast Boy, you cannot claim that you are Beast Boy. Our memories make us who we are, Jeremy. Your memories, though false, make you into the man you are today. That's why you and Beast Boy are different, because you two have different memories and essentially led different lives. Beast Boy died ten years ago when he was struck by that bus and a new man—Jeremy Rousseau—was born. In the end, even if you are Beast Boy, as long as you do not have any memories of your life before, you are not Beast Boy."

Jeremy stood up and left without saying a word. He couldn't listen to the doctor any more, though he knew deep inside that all he had heard was true. The doctor was right; as long as Jeremy didn't remember anything about his life before, it was as if he had never lived it. If he can't remember being Beast Boy, it's as if he's not Beast Boy.

Walking out of the building and standing under the flickering light of a lamppost, Jeremy repeated the doctor's words, "As long as I don't have any memories of being Beast Boy… I'm not Beast Boy. Oh why can't I remember?" He sighed. "Come on, Jeremy. Remember something! What did Beast Boy like to do? What did Beast Boy like to eat? What did his friends look like back then? What do Rachel look like? How did he act with Rachel?" Kicking the lamppost, he cried out, "Why can't I remember?"

Heading back into his car, he pulled out Beast Boy's CD from his pocket. Deciding he wanted to hear the rest of the song, Jeremy inserted the CD into his car's CD player and waited as the song started from where he had last paused it.

"_I long for your embrace, your tender kiss—a moment of bliss,_

_So through the lonely years_

_I'll cry these lover's tears._

_And until my love returns,_

_I'll cry these lover's tears."_

"Until my love returns…" Jeremy whispered, "I'll cry these lover's tears."

Suddenly, he jumped as he heard a voice come from the CD player, a voice that sounded like a teenage boy's and sounded distinctly similar to his own.

"Hey!" the voice said. "Um, Merry Christmas! So this is a late Christmas present, since the one I gave you a couple days ago wasn't really good, heheh. I hope you like it! No, say something else, Beast Boy. Something less awkward."

Jeremy was puzzled a bit as he tried to understand what was going on, but then he understood. Beast Boy must have given Raven a CD recording of _Lovers' Tears_ and left a message at the end. This must be Beast Boy practicing what he was going to say. Intent and curious, Jeremy continued to listen to his former self.

"Merry Christmas!" he heard Beast Boy say again. "Were you surprised? I bet you were. Do you remember this song? It's called _Lovers' Tears_. I showed it to you, remember? Well I know you really liked it so here you go! No… not good enough…

"Surprise! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope you've had a good one. This is a late Christmas present to you. It's that song you liked, _Lovers' Tears_. I hope you'll listen to it and think of me whenever you do! Nope, that's not gonna work… Hmm…

"Surprise! Merry Christmas!—no, I should leave that for the end, shouldn't I? Yeah good idea.

"Surprise! So this is a late Christmas present to you. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Merry Christmas! No, I said 'Christmas' too many times…

"Surprise! So this is a late Christmas present for you. I hope you have a—erm—a wonderful life ahead of you. I can't wait to meet you tonight. Merry Christmas!

"Surprise! This is a late Christmas present for you. I hope you have a wonderful life ahead of you—No!—a wonderful life filled with joy and happiness. I can't wait to meet you tonight for New Year's. Merry Christmas! Yes, yes that's good. I'll do that!

"Surprise! This is a belated Christmas present for you. I wish you a wonderful life filled with joy and happiness. I can't wait to meet you tonight for New Year's Eve. Merry Christmas! Perfect, perfect. Okay that's what I'm gonna say…

"Ahem… Rae—um, heheh… I, uh… We've been through a lot together. I know secrets about you and you know secrets about me. It's like we understand each other now. For the first time, we understand each other. I—I just wanted to say that… I dunno… I… I love you. No! No, no, no, I can't say that. I just can't. Alright I'll just stick with the one I had before. Alright, yeah. That's good…"

As the recording on the CD stopped, Jeremy couldn't help but drop his jaw in shock and in sadness. There was something about it… something about hearing himself about to say he loved her… and taking it back because he was too scared. There was something so pitiable about it… Something strangely heartbreaking.

…

Raven was in a sad mood, thinking about what Jeremy had said to her, when she heard her phone ring that night and answered it with a gloomy, "Hello?"

"Rachel?" Jeremy said.

Raven only sighed and said to him, "Jeremy, I told you already. I'm not interested in playing your games. I don't want to talk to you anymore. Please, leave me alone." She was about to end the call before a loud, "Wait!" prompted her to stop.

"Please, Rach," Jeremy begged. "Please let me talk to you."

She thought about it and then said, "Alright fine."

"Rachel," he started. "Please understand I'd never lie to you. Please see that I really, truly mean it when I say that I'm Beast Boy!"

"Jeremy, you've already lied to me and pretended that you were Beast Boy."

"When?"

"That night that I was drunk!" she replied angrily.

"…O—Oh."

"That's right, you remember now, don't you? You played with me and said that you were Beast Boy. And I actually believed you, too. You hurt me and made me really mad when you did that, but I forgave you. Now you're doing it again and you're pissing me off! I know for a fact that you are not Beast Boy, so stop it!"

"…Rachel, please I'm so sorry for that. But you have to believe me. I'm outside your building right now. Please come out so we can talk."

"We'll talk over the phone! I'm not coming out with you."

"Alright… Fine, then. Say… say that I am Beast Boy, then. What would you do?"

"I—I wouldn't do a thing."

"You—you wouldn't?"

Raven closed her eyes as if it hurt to say these words. "What I had with Beast Boy was ten years ago. What I have with Cyborg is now. I'm engaged to him. I've been with him for years! I can't just throw all that away. Even if I wanted to, I can't. It's my obligation to marry Cyborg now."

"So," Jeremy said. "Even if Beast Boy came back, you'd still stay with Cyborg?"

"Yes."

He sighed in desperation, "Rachel… Please listen. Don't you think that's there's the least bit chance that I'm Beast Boy? Can't you believe at least for a second that maybe I am? That maybe I've come back asking you—no, begging you to see who I am?"

"No, Jeremy!" Raven cried. "You and Beast Boy are so different in so many ways that I realized you two can't possibly be the same person. You two are so unalike."

"Rachel—"

"First of all," she interrupted. "Beast Boy doesn't call me that. Back then, I had a different name that everyone called me. When Beast Boy died, I changed my name to Rachel because I wanted him to be the last one to call me by my true name. Second, Beast Boy was completely green and you look like a normal person. How do you explain that? But it's not just that. You—you're really confident about yourself and about who you are. You aren't afraid of what others think about you. Beast Boy… he once told me he was secretly very insecure about himself. He's scared about what other people thought about him so he distances himself from others by making jokes all the time. You're smart and you know how to plan ahead. Beast Boy was… was the biggest idiot I've ever met. When you walk, you walk confidently and proudly. Beast Boy walks awkwardly and insecurely. You two laugh differently and talk differently and sit differently and act differently. You—that night I was drunk, you pretended you were Beast Boy and you intentionally hurt my feelings. I understand that you were mistaken by something, and I forgive you completely, but what you did was wrong and hurtful. Beast Boy… he's too kind. He would've never done something like that, he would've never hurt someone that way no matter how angry or misinformed he was. And—and you're very good with women, like you're a playboy. Beast Boy never had any chance with any girl. You—you told me you loved me though we've barely known each other for four months. You came out and told me that you loved me. Beast Boy… he never had the courage to say that. He never told me he loved me… Sometimes I wonder if he loved me as much as I loved him. I wonder if… I was as important to him as he was to me."

"Trust me, Rachel," Jeremy thought. "You are."

"I—I see," he said, feeling his heart drop. "Then… can I ask you… If you could say one last thing to Beast Boy right now, what would you say?"

"Jeremy…"

"What would you say?" he repeated.

"I'd say… I'd tell him I hate him," Raven said as tears started to emerge from her eyes. "I'd tell him I hate him for leaving me like that, for abandoning me the way he did. I hate him for disappearing from my life so suddenly and making me feel so much pain. I'd tell him, 'Who do you think you are, leaving me like that and making me this sad? How could you be so stupid to get hit by that bus? How could you just die and not care about my feelings?' I'd tell him, 'Do you know how much I'm hurting? Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me? I wanted to cry so hard every single night, but I kept it all it because you told me to be strong. Well how do you expect me to be strong when you're going to go off and die like that? Huh? You made me keep all this sadness, all this pain bottled inside me that I feel like I'm going to burst any second!'" Raven stopped to wipe her tears, then continued while sobbing, "I'd tell him, 'I hate you so much because you make me so, so miserable and depressed. Because I can't do anything without thinking about you. Because whenever I want to smile, I break down in tears. I hate you because not a day has passed that I've stopped thinking about you. Not a second has passed that I didn't spend thinking about your face. I hate you for dying and taking away my soul and leaving me this—this lifeless shell of a body! Thinking about you kept me going on every day. Thinking about you kept me strong so I can live just one day longer. You're the only thing keeping me alive, Beast Boy. But you're also the thing that's slowly killing me inside. And there's no one I love more than you, Beast Boy. But there's no one I hate more than you either!'"

Raven stopped talking as the tears flooded down her cheeks. Clasping her mouth with her hand, she sobbed quietly, not knowing that Jeremy was crying as well, as he heard he say how much she was hurting because of him.

"Did…" Jeremy thought as he cried silently. "Did I hurt you that much…? I'm sorry, Rachel. I'm so, so sorry."

He slowly took the phone off his ear and ended the call, placing the phone back into his pocket as he walked away from Raven's apartment. He knew now what he had to do.

Taking out his phone again and dialing a number, he waited for his mother to pick up. Hearing her answer, Jeremy said softly, trying his best not to sound like he was crying, "Mom? I've decided already. I already bought three tickets to France for you, me, and Dr. Bastion. We'll start over. I'll forget everything that happened here and everything about Beast Boy. Everything will go back to what it was before."

"Are—are you sure?" Sarah Prynne said.

"I'm sure," he replied. "Your and Dr. Bastion's flights are in three days."

"And yours?"

He was silent for a moment and then answered, "I'm leaving as soon as I can. My flight leaves at 10:00 tomorrow morning."

"Alright, then. Thank you… Beast Boy."

"No," he said with a shaking voice. "It's Jeremy. Jeremy Rousseau. Beast Boy was a person who died ten years ago. I see that now. I'm not Beast Boy."

…

The Next Morning

…

Raved sat in the Polaris lobby with a mirror in her hand. It was a magic mirror that was basically similar to our own telephones. "Everything's alright over there?" she said to the mirror.

"Yup, everything's just fine," Joshua said from inside the mirror. "I don't see any reason for you or Mr. Frenchy to come over today. It's a pretty slow day anyway."

"Hmm, alright. I'll go up to Jeremy's office and tell him. How's Raphael and Sanae doing?"

"Raphael's doing good. He's basically in charge of this whole reconstruction thing anyway. As for Sanae, well he couldn't be worse."

"What do you mean?"

"He's gone up and locked himself in his room. He stays there all day thinking—probably about the most depressing things given my impression of him. Such an anti-social introvert…"

"Hey, go easy on him. I heard he was the top student in the best academy in Azarath. He's very smart, so maybe he's thinking of a plan."

"Yeah, right," Joshua scoffed. "His report card probably went something like, 'Sanae has enormous potential but prefers to squander his time angsting instead of doing something more productive like learning social skills or finding a cure for cancer'…"

Raven absentmindedly sighed, prompting Joshua to ask her, "What's the matter, princess? Something wrong in the Life and Times of Rachel Roth? Do you sense a disturbance in the force?"

"Shut up," Raven said. "It's just… there's a lot on my mind."

"Boy troubles?"

"For your information… well, actually kind of. Basically there's this guy—Jeremy, actually—who looks exactly like the first person I ever loved. And my fiancée got scared and almost made me marry him that day. And then Jeremy told me he loves me, and later tried to convince me that he actually was my first love, which is impossible because my first love is dead! So I'm just… well you know."

"Uh huh," Joshua remarked. "And here's me, playing the world's tiniest violin."

"What, you don't believe my story?"

"Aha, so it _was _a story!"

"No, Josh… Not what I meant," Raven sighed.

"I dunno. Just sounds a little too phony to be true," Joshua shrugged. "Maybe something you'd read off of FanFiction, but definitely not something that exists in real life. I guess I'll go along with your little story. I suppose you're in love with Jeremy now?"

"What? No! Where'd you get that?" Raven exclaimed.

"Well, it's just that's how all love stories work," he said. "Didn't think yours was gonna be any different."

"Well don't think stupid things like that. I don't like Jeremy in that way!"

"Denial…"

"Whatever. Joshua?" she asked. "Have you ever fallen in love with the wrong person before?"

"Well, Rach," said Joshua as he assumed an air of arrogance, "The fact remains that the one, true love of my life will forever be myself."

Raven scoffed. "Well at least you won't have to worry about being rejected then."

"Not necessarily," he shrugged in return. "I do turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting."

She rolled her eyes and said back to him, "And now I'm turning you down. I gotta go. See you tomorrow, I guess."

Raven placed the mirror into her bag and started up the stairs to Jeremy's office.

She made her way into the office and was surprised to find it was almost completely empty. "Oh?" she said. "Where's all his stuff?" Walking out his office and into their secretary's office next door, Raven asked her, "Miss Drew, where's all of Jeremy's things?"

"Oh, you didn't hear?" the elderly lady asked, lowering her glasses. "Mr. Rousseau resigned last night. He's left already."

Though she didn't know why, she felt her heart drop. "Re—resigned? But his contract isn't over yet. The mission's not fully completed."

"Well, the main objective was done, which was to defeat the Taboo and regain control of Azarath," the woman explained. "His contract stated that he has the ability to resign at any time after the main objective was completed. If he does, he'd only receive 80% of his intended pay. From what I've heard, he's moving back to France. His plane leaves at 10:00."

"Ah… I see," Raven said softly. She supposed she should be relieved. After all, he had finally left her alone like she asked him to. Now she can focus on her relationship with Cyborg at last. But still… there was something in her that felt disappointed… almost saddened. No, it's better this way. She decided to shake it off and move on with her life.

Walking back into his office, she noticed it was almost exactly like the first day she and Jeremy had met months ago. She remembered how she had walked into his office—still mostly empty—and had been staring out the window when she turned to see him facing her and smiling his wide smile.

Slowly, Raven walked towards the window and stared out into the city again. The last time she had done this, winter had just started and the city had a fresh, light layer of snow. Now, winter was almost over and spring was nearing. Jeremy Rousseau had come and gone with the winter, it seemed. True, these weren't the happiest couple months of her life, but they were definitely one of the most memorable. Meeting Jeremy, seeing Beast Boy through him, finally learning to let Beast Boy go after ten years… All this was worth all the tears she had shed.

She almost didn't want to let it go. Closing her eyes, Raven turned around and faced the door of his office. Slowly, gently, she opened her eyes, imagining she would see Jeremy at the door once more.

But there was no one there. Only a closed door and empty space.

At that moment, she had remembered something Raphael had told her a little while ago. "You know, Rachel," he had said. "When I first saw Jeremy, I honestly believed he was Beast Boy. Maybe it was because they looked alike… But now that I think about it, it's not just that. Whenever I'm near him… I just kind of _feel_ he's Beast Boy, you know what I mean? Like I just get this strange _feeling_ that he was Beast Boy. And a lot of times in life, we just need these strange _feelings_ about something to know that it's true. But I guess this time it's not, right? After all, he can't possibly be Beast Boy."

It was true, when Raven first met Jeremy, she had also had that strange feeling that he was Beast Boy. There was just something about him—like an aura that resonated off him—that seemed to feel just like Beast Boy. He _felt_ like Beast Boy. But it seemed like this feeling was wrong. "No," she said to herself. "He's not Beast Boy. Who cares about these weird feelings anyway?"

Walking towards his desk, Raven saw that there was a CD player on it with a CD placed next to it. Curious and bored as she had nothing better to do, Raven sat down on Jeremy's chair, placed the CD into the CD player, and pressed the 'Play' button.

The faint sound of piano played, a slow and soft, sad yet soothing melody. And then a small voice was heard, singing a ballad of sadness and sorrow with a voice as smooth as silk and as sweet as honey. Like an angel's prayer.

"_I know now that you're gone, I'll be alone._

_Alone with memories, my very own._

_Maybe someday you will return to me, my love._

_But through the lonely years,_

_I'll cry these lover's tears._

_I think of all the joy I used to know,_

_But now this happiness we share no more._

_I long for your embrace, your tender kiss—a moment of bliss._

_But for now I'll have to cry_

_These lover's tears._

_Come back to me once more my love_

_And please never leave me again._

_Until that day, I'll wait for you._

'_Til then my love, I know I'll never be the same_

_Wherever you may be, please hear this plea,_

_Come back and end these tears of misery_

_I long for your embrace, your tender kiss—a moment of bliss,_

_So through the lonely years_

_I'll cry these lover's tears._

_And until my love returns,_

_I'll cry these lover's tears."_

Raven sighed a heavy sigh. This was just like that moment ten years ago. Jeremy… he must have remembered her playing this song and bought it, giving it to her as a parting gift. Most likely he had figured out the song was related to Beast Boy and was just trying to imitate him in a sad attempt to convince her that he was Beast Boy. She was just about to press the 'Eject' button on the CD player before she heard a voice coming from the player.

"Rachel…" she heard, causing her to jump and immediately pull her hand back. What—what was that? It was… Jeremy's voice.

"Maybe it's wrong to give you this present like Beast Boy did ten years ago. Maybe it's pointless to try to convince you that I am him. By the time you listen to this, I'd be miles away and out of your life forever. I just wanted to say thank you, for helping me see many things in a new way. Thank you for this experience. I wish dearly I could come back and fill the hole in your life that Beast Boy had made ten years ago, but it's probably better that we never see each other again. When we first met, winter had just arrived. Now that winter is over, I think it's fitting that I leave. They say winter is a time for memories, for remembering all our mistakes and actions so we can start over in the new year. Thank you for all the memories. Now it's time we said goodbye. I love you, and your happiness is all that I need. Merry Christmas!"

Raven felt herself shivering in fear and shock. "How…?" she managed to gasp. "This message… It's just like the one Beast Boy gave to me… But I've never told anyone about that message. So how would Jeremy know…?"

Slowly, her eyes widened in horror. Shaking her head, she said to herself, "No, no, it can't be. No, that's impossible. Don't think stupid thoughts like that, Rach…"

She sighed and scorned herself, but then whispered, "Sometimes in life… all we need is a feeling about something to know it's true… A _feeling_… That's all we need to know for sure that something is… is true." Dropping her jaw and widening her eyes, Raven felt a shudder of realization flow throughout her body as she finally saw the truth.

"Beast Boy…"

Glancing quickly at the clock on the desk, she saw that it was already 9:42. And his flight leaves at 10:00!

And so she let go of all common sense, of all logic and reality, and instead replaced them all with this one, single _feeling_. "Beast Boy!" she cried as she jumped out of the chair and ran out the office. "Beast Boy!" she cried as she left the building and focused her Soul Self to teleport to the airport. "Beast Boy!" she cried, for she saw the truth now.

"Goodbye, Rachel..." she heard, though she could not tell whether it was actually Jeremy or merely her imagination.

"Beast Boy," she cried as if he could hear her from so far away. "Don't go!"

~Memories in my Heart~


	16. Jeremy's Last Goodbye x Earth

**Short and simple chapter, but with a hugely suspenseful ending.**

* * *

"Goodbye, Rachel…" Jeremy whispered as he stood in the airport, clutching a ticket to Paris in one hand and his luggage in the other.

"Beast Boy!" he heard faintly. "Don't go!"

"Rachel?" he said aloud, looking around him. But there was no one there. He shrugged it off, "Just my imagination," and glanced at his watch. '9:43,' it read. "Just fifteen more minutes and I'm leaving this place forever."

Meanwhile, Raven teleported to the airport, appearing beneath a large, shadowy raven in the front entrance. She wasted no time as she immediately ran throughout the airport, desperately looking for Jeremy. "Beast Boy!" she cried aloud.

Time passed, with Raven shoving aside people as she looked for him—for that one man. Somehow, this all reminding her of when she and Jeremy had first met on Robin and Starfire's practice wedding. She had seen his face for the first time and started chasing him throughout the crowds of New York City, only to have lost him in the end.

"No," she said to herself. "I'm not losing you this time. I lost you the last time I tried to find you, months ago. I lost you ten years ago when I was trying to find you on New Year's Eve. But I'm not losing you now. I'm not losing you, Beast Boy!"

She stopped in her tracks only to glance at the massive clock in the airport. "9:56," she saw. "No, it can't be. I wasted too much time!"

"Attention all travelers," the PA system suddenly announced, much to Raven's surprise. "Flight 193 from New York to Paris, France will be departing soon in Terminal 16. Again, all passengers on Flight 193 from New York to Paris, France should be boarding now in Terminal 16."

"Terminal 16," Raven noted as she dashed towards the aforementioned terminal where Jeremy stood in line, slowly approaching the exit.

She ran until her legs burned and ached, but her pain in her legs couldn't stop her for it didn't match the pain in her heart. No matter what, she had to get there on time. She couldn't let Beast Boy go again.

Jeremy stood in line where only one man was between him and the gate. Glancing one last time at his watch, he saw it was 10:00 exactly. "Sir?" he heard a woman in the airport's uniform say. "It's your turn."

"Oh, sorry," he said, blushing and handing her his ticket. "It's just… this place—New York holds a lot of precious memories for me. It's kind of hard for me to leave it behind now, you know?"

Smiling as she handed his ticket back, the woman said cheerfully, "Who knows? Maybe you'll leave and never come back, or maybe you'll return and you can cherish the memories you had here once more."

Chuckling, Jeremy grabbed his luggage and headed towards the gate, but stopped suddenly as he heard a voice whisper from the back of his head.

"_But who knows? Maybe someday I will go back. Maybe someday I'll never return to Earth. And never see you again."_

"R—Rachel…?" he whispered.

"_And maybe then, you'll cherish the memories we had together."_

Standing in the middle of the gate, Jeremy gripped his luggage tightly as he felt a tiny memory of his return. "Cherish the memories… we had together," he whispered. "Oh Rachel… If only I had kept that promise."

And then he heard a voice from behind him, one that made his heart leap and his mind soar, one that he never thought he'd hear again, one that was like a voice from the past. "Beast Boy," Raven called.

Turning around, slowly but surely, as if he wasn't sure whether it was reality or his own imagination, Jeremy eventually came face to face with a woman dressed in a blue leotard and cloak. With tears in her eyes, she wept quietly as she suddenly rushed up and hugged him, whispering his name once again, "Beast Boy…"

"Rachel," he said with his arms around her, gently stroking her soft hair. "It's—it's me. Do you see me now?"

"Yes, I do," she said, on the verge of tears. "You're Beast Boy. You're him. This is Beast Boy. Beast Boy's here."

…

The two sat in Jeremy's apartment in silence. It was a soothing silence, however, one that required no words and lacked any discomfort.

"So…" Raven said. "So that's how it all happened? Your—your birth mother, Sarah Prynne… Hypnosis… All of that was—wow…"

"Yeah," Jeremy replied gently. "I know it's hard to understand—or even believe, for that matter."

"No," Raven shook her head. "I don't need to know how and I don't need to know why. All I need is… is to know that you are Beast Boy. That's all I need."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not Beast Boy, truly. I can't remember anything from before."

"Do—do you remember how we met?" she asked.

"No," he replied.

"What about… what about the song that you showed me. _Lovers' Tears_. Do you remember it?"

Again, he shook his head. "I remember the song. I remember how to play it a little. But I can't—I don't remember how I showed it to you. I barely even know the words…"

"I see… What about Azarath? Or Seymour or Raphael? What about Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, or Terra? None of that rings any bell?"

"I'm sorry, Rachel," he sighed.

"What—what about me? Can you remember me? At least, can you remember my name?" she implored.

He slowly shook his head. "You're… nothing but Rachel to me. I can't think of any other name you could be."

"I—I see…" she said, trying her best not to sound disappointed. "Well it doesn't matter. You're here now, aren't you? You're still Beast Boy."

"No," he muttered under his breath. "No, I'm not." Speaking at a normal volume, he said to her, "Here, you must be tired. Take a nap on the sofa for a little while."

"Alright," she agreed, for she honestly was quite tired. Laying down on the comfortable sofa, she closed her eyes and was asleep within moments.

…

She awoke suddenly as she heard a sound like a door shutting. Looking around her and finding a clock nearby, she saw that it was 12:37. She wondered where Jeremy was, then assumed he was sleeping in his room as well. A few minutes passed before Raven noticed a small written note on the table next to the sofa. Curious, she picked up the note and read it aloud.

"Rachel," she read.

"I know I will hurt you by doing this, but I know it's for the best.

You deserve a better life without me in it.

Even though I am Beast Boy, as long as I can't remember anything from the past, I'm not Beast Boy.

I'm not good enough for you if I can't remember a thing.

And that's why I'm saying goodbye for the last time.

So goodbye, don't cry, and smile.

—Jeremy"

Raven gasped and immediately jumped out of the sofa and ran out the apartment. Racing out the building, she didn't have time to think, "Why is he doing this?" or "What does he think he's doing?" Instead, she focused only on her need to find him and catch him once again before it's too late. He hasn't gone far, she knew, for she had just heard him close the door behind him.

Crossing the street, Raven looked around and searched for Jeremy within the crowds on the crosswalk. She ran and looked and searched, calling out both his names as she tried to find him. Her palms started to become sweaty and her heart beat faster and faster, until she eventually caught him walking on the sidewalk across from hers.

"Beast Boy!" she cried out, causing him to turn around in surprise.

"Rachel?" he said.

Raven tried to run across the street, but there were too many cars racing past her. "Beast Boy!" she called again. "Don't go! You can't go!"

He only shook his head and started to walk away, clutching his heart.

"No, Beast Boy!" she cried, starting to run across the road despite the many cars that were zooming by.

"Don't do it," Jeremy thought. "It's too dangerous. It's better this way. Just go back! Just go, Rachel!" He turned back to see her running towards her as cars whizzed past, honking at her for running across such a busy road.

"Beast Boy, no!" she wept as she nearly made it to where Jeremy was. She got closer and closer to Jeremy, crying out his name, until—

Raven's calls were broken by the sound of two very loud cannon-like _honk honk_'s. The shock of hearing such a loud, terrible sound caused Jeremy to widen his eyes and drop his jaw, gasping. "What was that?" he thought. Turning towards his left to see what was making the awful sound, he saw two very bright lights—so bright it was as if two suns were colliding into one another. Shocked by the blinding light and the deafening honks, all of Jeremy's thoughts were erased and replaced with only one: what _was_ that horrible thing in front of him, heading towards Raven?

Those two horrifying bright lights, like two demonic orbs coming to attack her, and that staggering _honk honk_ sound like a cannon that rang in his ears and shook his heart. As he stared at the monstrous object, he slowly realized that it was getting bigger and bigger. Was it… growing? No—it wasn't getting bigger, but was getting _closer_. Closer and closer the object approached Raven. But she didn't see it—she was too busy staring at Jeremy to see the large vehicle heading her way.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jeremy gasped upon sudden realization of what that thing was—what those two bright lights were and what the booming sound was. He looked back at Raven and saw she had just noticed the bus that was heading her way. But it was too late—the bus was now milliseconds ahead of her and was not slowing down one bit.

Jeremy could hear a large screech of the bus's brakes sound, but he knew it was too late—it had been driving too fast and was already too close to her. Looking at Raven one last time before the bus was inches away from her body, Jeremy cried out in a horrified voice, like a child weeping in the darkness, a name—one single name, one which he cherished in his heart forever:

"Rachel!"

~Memories in my Heart~


	17. Awakening x Earth

**Oh GOD, I loved writing this chapter! I bet you'll love reading it, too. **

* * *

"How's his condition?"

"Bad, very bad."

"How fast was the vehicle going before it hit him?"

"Uh, the driver hit the brakes about a second before it hit him. According to the police, about 30 or so miles per hour."

"Make way! Make way!"

"Move! There's an injured patient heading for the Emergency Room!"

"What can you tell so far, doctor?"

"Maybe a few broken bones, internal bleeding. He seems to have taken most of the hit on his head," the doctor said.

"That's not good."

"Heart rate is steady, but slow."

"Have we ID'd him yet?"

"Yes, sir. Jeremy Rousseau, 28 years old."

"Good. But what happened there, exactly?"

"Eyewitnesses said that this woman—" the nurse said, referring to Raven, who was running alongside the gurney, her hand clasped over her mouth and tears dripping down her face. "She was running across the street when a large bus was heading her way. This man had seen the bus coming and quickly pushed her out of the way. He was hit while saving her."

All Raven could do was run beside the gurney where Jeremy lay—bloody and unconscious—while the doctors rushed him to the Emergency Room. She couldn't think or say or do anything—words and actions meant nothing to her now. She couldn't think about what had just happened. She couldn't pray that he would live. She couldn't even whisper his name. All she could do was run and cry while hearing the doctors talk about how his condition was steadily worsening.

An hour later, Raven was told that he had sustained a few broken bones and minor internal damages, but was relatively fine. The problem was that he had sustained a large hit to the head and was knocked into a deep coma. He was alive, but in a deep sleep. He was alive, but—as the doctors said—his chances of awakening were slim.

And so Raven sat there, outside his hospital room, without a thought in her mind. She didn't have the strength to think about anything, not even about Jeremy. She didn't have the strength to cry anymore, either. All she could do was breathe, and even then she only managed to wheeze and gasp.

His mother was the first one contacted, and she rushed over to the hospital as fast as she could. When she had arrived, Raven saw she had massive tears streaming down her face and was crying out, "Jeremy! My Jeremy!" Raven didn't blame her. After all, how many parents have been called twice telling them their child was in a bad accident and was on the brink of death twice?

She doubted most mothers could've handled it.

After Sarah Prynne had seen and cried for Jeremy, she walked out of his room and she turned towards Raven, saying to her, "I'm glad you're here for my Jeremy. Rachel, was it?"

"Yes ma'am," she replied sullenly. "But miss, what did the doctors say about Beast Boy? Will he be alright?"

She looked up in surprise. "Beast—Ah, well I suppose he told you, right?" Raven nodded and the woman answered, "Well, the doctors said he'd be in a coma for an indefinite time. They said this accident wasn't as bad as his first, but they—" The woman's voice became higher as she started weeping once more. "—They don't know when he will wake up again."

Raven wished she could comfort the woman, but—having distanced herself from others for most of her life, had very little experience in comforting others and just stood there as the woman wept. "Ra—Rachel," she said. "May I… May I ask you something?"

"Yes, ma'am. Anything."

"Could—When Jeremy wakes up, he'd likely forget some things that recently happened. He'd probably forget that he's Beast Boy. Could you please… Could you please not remind him that he is Beast Boy? Could you just call him Jeremy like normal? He and I… we were planning to move back to France and forget all about this. All his time spent here—finding out who he really is—it's all very hard on him. I'd like him to forget this time. So could you please not tell him he's Beast Boy?"

Raven didn't know how to answer that, and reluctantly nodded.

"Thank you," Sarah Prynne said. "Thank you so much."

Later, Jeremy's mother left, but Raven still stayed behind, sitting beside Jeremy in his hospital bed. She spent the rest of the day there next to him. She did not think. She did nothing but stare at him, his chest slowly bobbing up and down as he breathed.

Once, she tried to synchronize his breathing with her own. For an hour she sat there, just staring at him, inhaling as he inhaled, exhaling as he exhaled. In time, she had adjusted to his breathing pattern and was able to perfect synchronize without having to look at him. For the rest of the day, she timed her breathing to match his.

Perhaps it was a way for her to pass the time. Perhaps she felt she'd be closer to him in some way. Whatever her reason for doing that, I'll never know.

Cyborg once called her, and she answered it with a tired, "Cyborg—I'm… at the hospital. Beast Boy… He's…" Cyborg and the others rushed over immediately. Once there, Jeremy's mother—who had returned for a while—explained to them the whole story, revealing to them that Jeremy was, in fact, Beast Boy.

Raven spoke very little. The other Titans tried to talk to her but she answered to all of them with one-word sentences.

She heard very little. She ignored most of the others' conversations and Terra's cries upon discovering Jeremy was actually Beast Boy.

She thought very little. She was too busy staring at Jeremy and his chest, slowly bobbing up and down.

She ate very little. The only thing she ate that day was a small bowl of instant lunch that Cyborg had bought for her. She wept bitterly while consuming it.

She did not leave the hospital at all. She spent her next few days either in Jeremy's hospital room or taking small walks around the hospital, sleeping on a chair and resting her head on Jeremy's waist at night.

That was how her days passed by.

The other Titans and Jeremy's mother periodically came back to check on Jeremy as well as Raven. But she spoke very little to them.

It was almost as if she was an empty shell now.

Four days passed and Cyborg was the first person to manage to get her to talk once more.

"Rachel," he said to her, placing his hand on her lap. "I've been thinking a lot lately. And I think I realized something that I should've known ten years ago."

"Cyborg?" she stammered, not knowing what to expect.

"When Beast Boy passed away ten years ago, I thought I could fill in that hole in your heart. But now I see that it's a hole I'm not allowed to touch. Now that he's back, he can fill in that hole once more. Rach, you should know that… for ten years I've been trying to get you to forget him. For ten years, I've been fighting Beast Boy's shadow. And now I realized that his shadow… is stronger than I'll ever be. I'm sorry, Rach. I think I realize now that… for the past ten years, I've been trying so hard to fight his shadow that I've forgotten to love you. I've done you wrong, Rachel. I'm not good enough for you. You—you should go back now, go back to the man who truly makes you happy. When he wakes up, go back to him. You've waited ten years already."

"Are—are we… breaking up?" Raven said in surprise.

"It's better this way, isn't it?" Cyborg said. "You're free now. Free to go to who you truly love."

"Cyborg…" she said softly, feeling her heart about ready explode. "Th—thank you." She leaned forward, about to hug him, but Cyborg only stood up and started out the door.

"Wait!" Raven said, standing up. "Cyborg…"

"Yeah…?" he said.

"Do—do you remember our first dance?" Raven asked.

She heard him let out a long sigh. Not waiting for a reply, she said, "I told you I couldn't dance and… and you told me to place my feet on top of yours and you'd do the dancing for the both of us."

"Yeah, I remember."

"I'm—I'm sorry," Raven whispered. "For the past ten years, I've been putting my feet on yours and making you live our relationship for the both of us. You've been doing all the work and all I've done is think about Beast Boy. You—you don't deserve _me_. You're going to find someone else, someone better who knows how to dance with you. And that girl, she'll be the luckiest in the world."

Cyborg smiled ever so slightly and thanked her before leaving the hospital room.

And so continued Raven's days as she stayed with Jeremy, caring for him and sleeping with him for what seemed like an eternity.

…

Several days had passed since Jeremy had jumped in front of the bus and saved Raven. The date was March 15, less than a week away from spring. Birds were beginning to chirp that morning and the snow had already melted. Trees and plants were beginning to grow again and the warmth of spring was slowly wrapping its arms around New York.

A small ray of sun shined through the window in Jeremy's hospital room and illuminated the dark room. Jeremy lay on his bed, breathing slowly and steadily. Raven sat on the chair next to him, resting her head on his waist and dreaming about him and her in Azarath together. She dreamed that she was wearing her white, elegant dress while he wore the same green suit he donned ten years before. And they were dancing in the ballroom, just dancing together, while _Lovers' Tears_ played in the background.

Raven was promptly woken up by a strange feeling on her face like something was poking her. Something—hard and a little cold—was touching her cheeks. Opening her eyes sleepily, she saw that the thing touching her was a white, creamy thing—which she slowly realized was a finger. What was a finger doing touching her and waking her up, she thought, not fully awake. "Whose fingers are they?" she wondered. "There's no one here but me and Jeremy." Shutting her eyes closed, she slowly came to realize what was happening. "Jeremy?" she thought as she suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.

And then she saw him—Jeremy looking up and staring at her with his bright green eyes. "J—Jeremy?" she said as she saw him place his hand back at his side and his eyes gently flicker back and forth as they examined her. "Is that you, Jeremy?" she said.

He didn't seem to react, but Raven already knew. "Oh my God," she cried, nearly jumping out of her seat. "Oh my God. Oh my God! Oh my—Jeremy! You're awake! I—I've got to tell the doctors."

She started out the door, feeling her heart beat frantically. He—he was awake! Jeremy was awake! "I've got to tell your mother!" He's awake, she thought. Finally, he's here! Raven couldn't help but smile broadly as she walked towards the door of Jeremy's room. He was awake at last! Now, it seemed, her life was taking a turn for the better. Beast Boy was back after leaving her for ten years. And now—though she couldn't tell him that he was Beast Boy—she was still grateful that he was here. And now, it seemed, they can continue what they started ten years ago. It seemed that finally, after ten years of hiding in the shadows after Beast Boy's death, finally Raven's life had found life again. But then she heard one voice, one word, one name called out from Jeremy's lips. She heard one name that echoed throughout the room, flowing through the space and into her heart. She heard one name that Jeremy called that made her stop in her tracks, made her eyes widen, made her heart stop beating, made her hands shake, made her jaw drop, made her body shiver, made her lungs gasp, and made her world topple over tenfold. And all it took was one voice, one word, one name whispered from Jeremy's lips.

"Raven…"

Little by little, Raven turned around and faced Jeremy once more, staring deep into his eyes. "Wh—wh—" she stuttered. "Wh—what did y—you say?"

"R—" the man whispered again. "Raven…"

She felt her knees start to weaken as she struggled to breathe. "Is—is…" she gasped. "Is that you, Beast Boy?"

And little by little, the man's head nodded up and down. "Raven…" he whispered.

"_So…" Beast Boy said, introducing himself to the others. "I'm Beast Boy. Who are you?"_

"_I'm Robin," the masked boy replied._

"_Cyborg," the large man in the hoodie said._

"_And… you?" Beast Boy said to the girl wearing a blue cloak._

"_My name…" she said in a ghastly voice, "is of no importance."_

"_Aw, come on. Everyone has a name! What would we call you if you don't tell us?"_

"…_Raven."_

"_Raven, huh? Pretty name for a pretty girl—" he stopped suddenly as she glared at him. "Uh, never mind, heheh."_

"Raven…" he whispered as the memories flowed back to him.

_Beast Boy sighed, probably because he was so tired. He started down the hallway, but couldn't shake off the feeling that he was slightly disappointed, like he wanted to say something to Raven, maybe to apologize one more time. He shrugged off the feeling and kept walking. He heard the sound of a voice calling his name, "Beast Boy?" Beast Boy turned around abruptly, feeling his heart jump slightly. "Yes?" he answered. Raven, standing at her door, seemed to stammer a little, but then gave him one final "Good night," and a small smile. Then she walked inside her room and gently closed the door. Beast Boy felt like smiling, but he didn't know why. "Good night," he whispered, and headed down to his room._

"Raven…" he whispered, as if it was the only name he knew.

"_This is my favorite." He smiled as he lifted the headphones from him and gently placed them on Raven's hands._

_Raven placed the headphones on her ears, not knowing what to expect. She glanced at the CD case he was holding: Lover's Tears. She could faintly hear some piano music; it was slow, yet soothing. And a little sad. Then came the words, emerging from a voice as smooth as silk but as sweet as honey. Raven lost herself within the song as the words spoke to her and her alone. She could feel the world melting away, leaving behind nothing but her, Beast Boy, and those words like an angel's prayer._

"_Does… it sound good?" he asked._

_The girl smiled._

"_Do you like it?" the boy asked._

_The girl nodded, not wanting to break the silence in her mind._

"Raven…" he whispered, as if saying her name brought back more and more memories.

_A silence followed, broken only by the faint pitter patter of the rain. "But who knows?" she replied. "Maybe someday I will go back. Maybe someday I'll never return to Earth. Maybe someday I'll disappear and never see you again. And maybe then, you'll cherish the memories we had together."_

_Beast Boy fought back the tears, but they were pouring out. He then stood up and dragged Raven up with much difficulty. "Hop on," he said as he pulled Raven onto his back._

"_Where are we going?" she whispered._

"_Somewhere to cherish the memories we have together."_

"Raven…" he whispered as tears began to form in his eyes.

_Was she… dead?_

_Finally, he reached her and caught her in his arms._

"_Raven," he said. "Raven, wake up. I'm here. Raven!"_

_He couldn't feel a heartbeat._

_In tears, Beast Boy hugged Raven with all his might._

_Beast Boy then felt a warmth come from her._

_As he opened his eyes, Beast Boy saw a light emerge from her chest. The light grew brighter and brighter and engulfed them both. As the light faded, Beast Boy and Raven disappeared._

"Raven…" he whispered as he saw her stand there with tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.

_Beast Boy couldn't help but smile. It was such a beautiful name. Raven… Raven… He felt like he could say it for hours. Raven… Such a strange name. And yet it was perfect at the same time. Such an odd name. And yet it fit her perfectly. Even more so than 'Rachel Roth'. True, Rachel was beautiful as well, but it didn't quite display the same kind of beauty as the name Raven did. Raven…_

"Raven…" he whispered, as he slowly remembered everything.

"_This," he declared, pointing at his own snowman, "is Snowman Beast Boy, and that is Snowman Raven."_

"_Oh really?" Raven replied sarcastically. "Well that's good because mine is far prettier."_

"_In your dreams! You're just jealous of mine!"_

"_Please, your snowman is ugly. I guess that apple doesn't fall far from the tree."_

"_You're envious of my talent. The magnificent masterpiece of Garfield Logan. What do you have to say about that, huh?"_

"_You're full of fail, as usual," Raven said stubbornly. "And about your 'masterpiece', I can proudly say… it hurts to look."_

"_Hmph. Hey, I got an idea!" With a mischievous smile, Beast Boy took both snowmen, turned them facing each other, then slowly pushed them towards each other until their lips met._

"Raven…" he whispered as his tears dripped down his face onto the pillow.

"_But you can't play piano!" she whispered back._

_Chuckling, he replied, "There's a lot about me you don't know, Raven."_

"Raven…" he whispered.

"_Tomorrow," she said with a smile. "Tomorrow night. Meet me here," she said, pointing towards the sign they were standing under. "Meet me here tomorrow night at midnight, New Year's Eve. Then we'll tell each other. Promise?"_

_With a smile, he answered, "Promise."_

"Raven…" he whispered.

_And then… it all stopped. All the sounds, all the noise, all the lights, everything… disappeared and was replaced by a brief requiem of deafening, deadly silence. The last thing Beast Boy said in a voice so soft before being struck by the bus was one word, one name that he cherished in his heart:_

"Raven…"

~Memories in my Heart~


	18. Cherishing Memories x Earth

"Dick Grayson," Beast Boy said.

"Okay, good," Raven commended. "Starfire?"

"Kor—uh… Koriand'r," he answered.

"Mhmm… Cyborg?"

"Victor. Victor… Victor… Stone! Victor Stone."

"Terra?"

"Uh… Tara… Mar—Markoff."

"Okay. Me?"

Beast Boy smiled and answered, "Rachel Roth."

"Good. Okay, what was the name of our archenemy back then?"

"Oh! Oh, I know this one. It started with an 'S'. Slave… Slade!"

"Yeah. Okay, what's Starfire's sister's name?"

"Uh… It was something-fire. Darkfire?"

"Blackfire," she replied.

"Oh, right."

"What was the name of your old team?"

"Uh…" Beast Boy said, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to remember. "The Doom… Doom Squad? No. Doom Fighters… Doom…"

"…Patrol."

"Doom Patrol! Right…"

"Okay. My father's name?"

"Triton."

"That's the Greek god, Beast Boy. But it's close. Tri_gon_. Okay, next question. What sport did we used to play with the others all the time?"

"Uh… I know this one. I remember we played it on the roof of Titans Tower… That narrows it down a lot. Something where the ball can't travel far… Volleyball! We played volleyball!"

"Right."

"Yes!" he exclaimed.

"What animal am I allergic to?"

"Chickens. I remember that one clearly," he chuckled. "Oh, I also remember those guys we used to fight all the time… That one pink haired girl, the short kid, and that one big guy."

"Yeah, the H.I.V.E. Good. Okay, what was your favorite food?"

"What? How am I supposed to remember that? Can't I have a hint?"

"Okay, you were a vegetarian back then."

"Vegetarian… Salad! It's salad, right?"

Raven couldn't help but sigh. "Tofu. You liked tofu."

Beast Boy grimaced at the thought. "Tofu? I liked that?"

Raven tried her best to smile but found it difficult. For the past few minutes, she had been asking Beast Boy a lot of questions about the past, testing to see how much he remembered. Sadly, though he did regain his memory, there was still a lot of things he had forgotten. Many things he did remember, at least partially, but he had difficulty remembering some of the smaller details. After all, if he couldn't remember his love for tofu…

"Beast Boy, one last question," she said. "What did we promise each other we'd do when we met on New Year's Eve?" She bit her lip, desperately hoping he'd remember at least this one.

"I know this…" he mumbled. "I know this… We, uh… We promised we'd meet on New Year's… at Times Square… to… Oh, to tell each other something."

"To tell each other… what?"

"To tell…" he murmured. "To tell…" he said, trying his best to remember.

"_Tomorrow," she said with a smile. "Tomorrow night. Meet me here," she said, pointing towards the sign they were standing under. "Meet me here tomorrow night at midnight, New Year's Eve. Then we'll tell each other. Promise?"_

_With a smile, he answered, "Promise."_

"I—" he said, softly hitting his head with his fist. "We promised to meet… to tell each other… Ah! Why can't I remember? We said we'd meet to tell each other that…"

Raven gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. At least you remembered we were supposed to tell each other something. That's good enough. The rest of your memories… they'll come back eventually." Raven did her best to hide her disappointment.

Nearly jumping out of his bed, Beast Boy cried out, "Well then, let's go!"

Startled, Raven nearly fell back. "What?" she asked.

"Let's go now. What're you waiting for? Let's go!" he said again.

"Go where?"

With a wide smile on his face, Beast Boy answered, "Somewhere to cherish the memories we had."

…

Escaping a hospital undetected was not an easy task. For normal people, that is. For superheroes, however, it was all but too easy. Raven teleported the two to the roof of the hospital, where Beast Boy shifted into an eagle, and they flew to Beast Boy's apartment to get him dressed in normal clothes.

After he dressed—deciding to wear black jeans and a dark purple shirt, for it seemed appropriate for today—the two stood in his living room and eyed each other playfully.

"So…" he said, barely able to contain his smile. "I'm Beast Boy. Who are you?"

"My name…" Raven said in reply, trying to make her voice sound as dark as possible, "is of no importance."

"Aw, come on. Everyone has a name! What am I gonna call you if you don't tell me your name, huh?"

"…It's Raven."

"Raven, huh? Pretty name for a pretty girl—" he stopped suddenly as she glared at him. "Uh, never mind, heheh." The two almost immediately burst into laughter.

Beast Boy then grabbed Raven's arm and dragged her into the kitchen. "Alrighty!" he said, getting out some pans from the drawers. "Rise and shine, Rae. It's breakfast time!" Getting out some ingredients from the fridge, he exclaimed, "Today we are serving… tofu waffles!"

"No!" she almost shouted in reply. "No. Tofu. Waffles. I haven't had any for ten years, I'm not eating any now."

"But I'm Beast Boy," he said cheekily. "Tofu waffles is who I am. Now pass me the soy milk." He winked. Rolling her eyes, she did as she was told.

The two then spent the rest of the morning making Beast Boy's favorite breakfast—and were stalled as they started a small food fight halfway through. Beast Boy threw a handful of flour at Raven's face, which she returned by menacingly levitating the jug of soy milk above his head and allowing a little to splash onto him.

In the end, however, two servings of tofu waffles were made, hot and ready.

And were devoured nearly instantly.

After cleaning up the dishes—and the mess they had made while cooking—Beast Boy dragged Raven out of his apartment again and down the street towards a local music store. Entering the store, he looked around and found a sample music player in the corner, motioning Raven to follow him. As he searched through the touch screen of the music player, he eventually found what he was looking for and exclaimed, "Ah! Here it is." Handing the woman a pair of headphones that was connected to the touch screen, he said to her, "This is my favorite."

Raven placed the headphones on her ears and sat down on the chair nearby. She was not the least bit surprised when _Lovers' Tears_ played.

"Does… it sound good?" he asked.

The woman smiled.

"Do you like it?" the man asked.

She nodded, not wanting to break the silence in her mind.

Beaming, Beast Boy stopped the music player and pushed Raven out of the music store. "Wait, Beast Boy!" she cried. "What's your rush? I wanted to hear the rest of the song."

"No time!" he laughed. "Too many memories we have to cherish!"

And so the two went all around New York City, reenacting all of their most precious memories together. They went to a local nightclub and reenacted their first dance at the Jackal. They went to the biggest mall there was and spent hours trying to find a gown and a suit that were similar to the ones they had worn in Azarath years ago. They went into an antique store and played with two snowman lamps—calling them "Snowman Beast Boy" and "Snowman Raven" and having them kiss each other. They went to see _The Phantom of the Opera, _with Beast Boy recalling that the one they had seen before was much better, with much more solid went to an empty volleyball court and pretended to play volleyball with each other—Raven often had to criticize Beast Boy for losing his good spikes. "That's what happens when you go to Paris," she remarked. "You learn how to be a pretty boy but you forget how to spike like a man."

The two even returned to Choonchun Trail. It was much different now because all the snow had melted and the trees were now bright and green, the birds were chirping and the sun was shining bright. They rented a moped—for Beast Boy had always wanted one—and slowly drove down the trail, Beast Boy driving and Raven sitting right behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his back. Beast Boy smiled as he drove. He didn't need to look back to know she was smiling as well.

As he drove, the wind sifted through Raven's shoulder length hair. She laid her head on his back and felt it shake. She smiled, thinking to herself, "If only we had times like these for the past ten years. It's been ten years and… I haven't forgotten. I'll never forget the image of his back." Perhaps it was strange that she liked his back so much. It was much more muscular and harder than it had been when he was a mere teenager, that was a plus. There was nothing completely exciting about his back, either. But it just felt… nice. And perhaps that was all there was to it.

And truly, she never did forget moments like these, where for once everything finally seemed normal. There was no Taboo to worry about, no Azarath, no Polaris, no missions, no engagements, no Jeremy's, no Terra's, no Paen's, no Seymour's, no nothing. It was just him and her, and that's all there was to it. Times like these, she'd never forget.

They reached the end of the trail. It was a small cliff, looming over a small lake. The afternoon had arrived and the sun had already started its trek downwards. Parking the moped, Beast Boy jumped off the vehicle and helped Raven off, taking her hand and leading her to sit on the cliff with him.

"This," Beast Boy said as he leaned back and closed his eyes, letting the wind brush his face. "This seems familiar."

"Hmm, does it?" Raven asked teasingly. "I dunno. Maybe…"

"Did… we used to sit on a cliff like this back then?"

"We might have."

"I can't really remember it clearly…" he said, not opening his eyes. "But it seems very familiar."

Raven smiled. "That's good enough."

"Raven?"

"Hmm?"

"What's your favorite color?" Beast Boy asked with a cheeky grin.

Her heart almost leaping instantly, she tried her best to calm herself down and act natural. "Why do you ask?"

"I dunno. Just want to remember some things about you. That's all."

"Blue."

"Okay, predictable… Favorite, uh… season?"

"Spring."

"Interesting. Flower?"

"Not much of a flower kind of girl, Beast Boy."

"Just answer."

"Fine. Violets, I guess."

"Favorite… animal?"

Barely about to contain a smile, she answered, "People!"

He chuckled and said, "Any person in particular?" Grinning widely and facing her, he said, "That's what we promised, wasn't it? That we'd tell each other who our favorite person was. That's it, isn't it!"

Letting out a sigh, one of relief and joy, she answered, "My favorite person… Oh darn, it's hard!"

"Oh?" he replied in surprise. "Is it that hard?"

"Yep," she said back. "I just… I can't decide between two people."

"Who then?" he demanded.

"Beast Boy… and Jeremy Rousseau. You see, Beast Boy was much more friendly, much nicer. He didn't have the courage to hurt anybody unless they were his enemy. He was dorky, but really romantic and sensitive sometimes, and also insecure. Jeremy, on the other hand, was much stronger and confidant. He was brasher at times, too. But he… he had a good soul, one that I sensed when I got to know him."

"Raven…" Beast Boy said quietly. "Did you…"

Understanding his words, she replied, "Yeah. I think I do. I loved Jeremy. Maybe it was during all those missions together. All those months we spent pretty much every day. Maybe it was when you saved my life on Azarath. I can't tell when, but I do know that… I fell in love with him."

"Raven. Did you love him… for him? Or did you love him because he reminded you of me?"

She smiled contemplatively, staring at the sun's reflection in the lake. "I loved him for him. I loved you for you, not because you reminded me of Beast Boy. At first… I saw him only as a reflection of Beast Boy. But the time we spent together… it wasn't long, but it was enough to let me see how different Beast Boy and Jeremy Rousseau were. In time, I still loved him, but I loved him for him, not because of Beast Boy."

"Well…" he said, staring at his hands. "Who am I? Am I Beast Boy? Or am I still Jeremy Rousseau? I—I remember a lot of my past now. But I still have my memories as Jeremy. I probably still act like Jeremy, too. Who should I be? The real me that I've forgotten or the false me that I am now?"

"Beast Boy," Raven said, placing her hand on his lap. "You are you. That's all that matters. It doesn't matter if you're Beast Boy or Jeremy. None of that matters. I don't care which one you are. You are you. That's all I need. You're all I need."

Smiling shyly, the man whispered, "Raven… the person I like the most isn't hard at all." Looking up at her and staring deep into her eyes, two vast pools of violet that he could dive deep down into forever, he said, "It's you, Raven. You are… the most beautiful woman I've ever met in my life." Slowly leaning closer and closer to her, he continued, "We've lost ten years, but now… now the rest of our lives start." And when he was within breathing distance of her, he whispered, "We've worried enough about the bad, haven't we?"

"Yeah, we have." And Raven sealed these words with a kiss, a long, gentle, but passionate one. And once again, the embers in her heart burst alive as the fire that had been long dead finally gained life.

But it was cut all too short by large _whooshing_ sounds like a brief, but strong gusts of wind as several people suddenly appeared behind them, teleporting from thin air. They all wore a uniform that consisted of a cream colored over-coat with tails that extend to behind the knees and light gray trousers tucked into black knee-high boots. The collars are high, concealing the neck decorative plates with gold designs placed on the shoulders, and they all wore white headbands and gloves. They were all of varying ages, mostly in their twenties, some looked as young as 18 while others as old as 30.

The sorceress and the changeling promptly stood up as one man walked towards them. "Are you two Raven and Beast Boy?" he asked. They looked at each other in surprise. How did these people know their real names? Looking back, Beast Boy responded, "Y—yes? Who are you guys?"

Raven examined their uniform and noticed a strange symbol on the left chest of the people's uniforms—a stylized white bird with outstretched wings that had a star in place of a head. "Wait a second," she said. "That symbol… That's Polaris' symbol!"

"_Our_ Polaris?" Beast Boy asked her. "The company we work in?"

"Yes," the man nodded, placing his hands behind his back. "We're elite soldiers from Polaris in the Paragon division."

"Paragon…" Beast Boy muttered. "That division… They're the best of the best, the very top of Polaris!"

"Indeed," the man said again, trying his best to sound factual, but not boastful. "We are the few who know the top secrets of Polaris. _And_ the Taboo."

"Wait…" Raven said, startled. "How do you know about the Taboo?"

Not answering her question, the man continued, "The President of Polaris has recently discovered that the Taboo are still alive after all these years. He, of course, would have found out about it as soon as the file came in and your case was started. However, there seemed to have been some tampering with the system—undoubtedly the work of the Taboo—and he had only found out about it just now."

"The President?" Beast Boy said.

"The President…" Raven repeated. "Tell me, what does he have to do with the Taboo? Is he connected with them in any way?"

Smiling, the man only said, "Those are questions you should ask him, not me. Anyway, the reason we are here is because the Taboo have begun to invade Azarath once more. They are more prepared now and will not be easily defeated by the pendants. The pendants are, in fact, the weapon with the strongest capabilities against the Taboo, but only when used by someone with as high amount of Imagination as you, Raven. Since there are very few with your amount of power, we've brought some of Polaris' weapons, specially made for Taboo. We need you to come with us and push back the Taboo, hopefully for the last time."

"How do you guys know about the pendants?" Raven asked them. "And what do you mean 'specially made for Taboo?' How does Polaris know anything about the Taboo?"

"Raven," the man said with a mysterious smile. "What is Polaris?"

"Polaris… It's a secret government division. An interplanetary paranormal investigation company," Raven answered, starting to doubt the validity of what she had been told about her company that she worked in. "We're hired mercenaries to go across various worlds and do as we're requested by our hirers. We just… we just do whatever they say and they pay us, right?"

Again, smiling his enigmatic smile, the man only said, "Let's just say, Raven… There is much about Polaris and much about the Taboo that you have yet to learn…"

~Memories in my Heart~


	19. Fight to the Finish x Azarath

**This story is about coming to a finish! Final chapter will be uploaded soon.**

* * *

The soldiers of Polaris' Paragon division hustled around their base of operations, shouting orders and carrying weapons and supplies from here to there. There were about a hundred soldiers, all stationed in a large base hidden deep underground in the outskirts of Amsterdam. Raven and Beast Boy felt helpless as they sat on a bench in one side of the battleship, watching the soldiers in white uniforms run this way and that, shouting orders and commands to each other, carrying around strange weapons that the two had never seen before and loading them into a large white battleship about the size of an ordinary cruise ship.

After several minutes passed, one of the soldiers—the same one that had addressed them earlier, who was evidently the Captain of the Paragon soldiers, said to the two, "We're ready. It's time to go."

"What're they doing?" Beast Boy asked the man, pointing towards the soldiers who were carrying supplies into the battleship.

"We're loading up our mobile base," the man answered. "We intend to drive away the Taboo today but there is always the chance that they will return and strike back. To this end, we will station our mobile base into Azarath to keep it under our careful watch. Should the Taboo ever strike again, we will be ready for them almost instantly." As one of the soldiers on the ship waved at the man, he said to them, "They're ready now. Get on board. We're about to teleport to Azarath."

Raven and Beast Boy followed the man's orders and boarded the ship. "Raven!" one of the soldiers instantly greeted, grabbing her hand and vigorously shaking it. "It is such a pleasure to finally meet you at last."

"And you as well, Beast Boy," said another man, shaking Beast Boy's hand. "It is indeed a privilege."

Beast Boy and Raven both thanked them and looked at each other weirdly. How did these people know them? And why did they treat them like celebrities?

Farther away, two soldiers pointed at Beast Boy and Raven and whispered amongst themselves. "That woman, that's _her_, isn't it? Raven of Azarath?" one said.

"That's what the others say."

"Interesting. So _she's_ the child of Trigon and the Lady Arella."

"Yes. And that man with her… I've heard some rumors. Isn't he…?"

"He is. That's him, alright."

"Wow," the second soldier gasped. "I'd never thought I'd ever see _him_. Especially since the President is trying to keep it a secret."

"Yeah. But very few people know about him, so do the President a favor and keep your mouth shut."

"I understand," the soldier nodded. "But still, it'd be hard to keep it a secret for very long. I thought that man's face was familiar the second I laid eyes on him."

Their conversation was cut short by an announcement on the PA by the Captain: "Attention all Polaris soldiers. The ship is ready for take-off. Prepare for teleportation."

"Sir!" the soldiers saluted as they rushed into their positions. Beast Boy and Raven, not knowing what to do, awkwardly tried to follow suit.

In an instant, there was a loud sound of rushing wind like a tornado, and a blinding light suddenly appeared from the ship, getting brighter and brighter as the wind became louder and louder. The sound was deafening and the light blinding. Raven shut her eyes and tightened her grip on the ship's edge as the ship began shaking vigorously as the ground felt like it was dissolving underneath.

…

Gasping for breath as the sound of the rushing wind died into a mere echo, Raven opened her eyes to find that the ship was now resting on hard rock next to what seemed to be a wall surrounding a large castle. "Teleportation successful," she heard a soldier say. "We've made it to Azarath." And as Raven looked up to see the Azarathean Castle looming overhead, she knew they had made it.

"No time to waste!" a soldier cried. "Weapons, people. Weapons, weapons!" The soldiers in white all ran to grab their weapons and jumped off the ship and into Sector 1. The rush of people was so fast and so swift that Raven barely had time to keep up. Taking out her pendant from her pocket and wrapping it around her neck, feeling the power within it begin to surge once more, Raven followed the soldiers into Sector 1 and into the Castle. There was absolutely no time to waste.

As they reached to grand door into the Castle, they found it to be blocked by a magical shield. "Stand back!" one soldier shouted as he pulled out a massive machine-gun like weapon and began firing at the magic wall. Within seconds, Raven was astonished to find the shield start to crack and eventually shatter and disappear. "Go, go, go!" the soldiers shouted as they ran inside the Castle.

Raven entered the room to find a few people—whom she recognized as part of the Azarathean rebels—fighting what seemed to be dark shadow-like humanoid monsters. "What are those?" she cried as she shot a lightning spell at one, causing it to explode into dust and disappear.

"Shadows!" a soldier behind her answered. "Monsters created by Taboo as their little pawns in battle. They can be strong."

"But we're stronger," another soldier shouted as he fired a rapid-fire crossfire weapon that Raven had never seen before, destroying a small group of Shadows in seconds.

As she fought the Shadows on the front room, she glanced up at the grandfather clock at the top of the staircase and saw a man dressed in a black jacket standing there. "Taboo!" she shouted. As the Taboo noticed the presence of the soldiers in white, he nearly fell back in shock. "No!" he cried. "Not _you_!"

The soldier with the machine gun laughed out loud as he aimed his weapon at the Taboo and immediately started firing. The Taboo conjured up a massive shield that blocked all of the incoming bullets. Using his other hand, the Taboo launched a wind spell at the soldier, causing him to fall back and drop his weapon.

Another soldier then rushed from the Taboo's side and conjured a lightning spell, shooting it at the Taboo and causing him to hit the wall. "Raven!" the soldier said. "Don't bother with the Taboo. Find the Conductor! We'll deal with the rest. Go find him now—Ah!" the soldier cried out in pain as he was suddenly struck across his chest by a large sword wielded by the first Taboo. The Taboo then rushed towards Raven and raised his sword but was quickly knocked back by a large grizzly bear. Before the Taboo could recuperate, the bear shouted at Raven, "You heard the man. Hurry, Rae!" and transformed into a falcon, flying upwards swiftly. Raven then flew up, following Beast Boy as he flew towards the top of the Castle.

As Raven flew up, she glanced at each story she passed and saw dozens of Azarathean soldiers as well as Polaris soldiers fighting multiple Shadows—which were fairly strong against the weaker Azarathean soldiers. At each story there was usually one Taboo leading the Shadows. Raven noticed the Taboo had gotten much stronger than in their previous fight—no, they must have just been holding back the last time. This time, the Taboo were surely giving the fight all they've got, especially since the Polaris soldiers were in the fight now.

None of this makes sense, she thought to herself. How does Polaris know so much about the Taboo? Why does the Taboo seem to fear the Polaris soldiers so much? Why does Polaris have weapons specially made to fight the Taboo? None of this makes sense. There isn't a connection between Polaris and the Taboo, was there? And how did they know about her and Beast Boy? She and he were just ordinary Polaris agents, Rachel Roth and Jeremy Rousseau. How did these Polaris soldiers seem to know everything about them? And who was the President of Polaris and what is his connection with the Taboo? These questions surround her as she flew up towards the top floor of the Castle where she knew the Conductor must be: the Throne Room.

…

Seymour breathed out slowly as he sat on the crystalline throne. "Azar…" he said slowly, carefully enunciating each syllable. "Did you know that it would come to this…? When you surrendered your life to us ten years ago, when you let us take Azarath…" Seymour suddenly looked up as he saw man and a woman open the large doors to the Throne Room. Recognizing them, he smiled and stood up. "Ah, Lady Raven of Azarath. A pleasure to see you have returned so swiftly." Turning his attention to the man next to her, Seymour said, "And Jeremy Rousseau, or should I say Beast Boy of Earth now that your memory has returned."

Jeremy gritted his teeth. "You know?"

"I am the Conductor," Seymour snickered, raising his arms and conjuring thirteen swords that revolved around his body. "I know all that there is to know."

"Rachel!" a voice called from behind them as Raphael, followed by Sanae, rushed to their side. "We're here."

"It's Raven," she corrected. "Raven, not Rachel."

"Raven, then," Raphael said with a smile, lifting up a Polaris crossfire. "We're here. You're cornered, Seymour. It's the end!"

Telekinetically shutting and sealing the door behind them, Seymour smiled and declared, "We'll see about that." In an instant, all thirteen swords came flying at the four at an enormous speed.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven cried out as she conjured up a large shield, blocking all the swords and sending them flying back towards Seymour. As the swords returned to Seymour's side, Raven—using her pendant—morphed her shield into a large hammer and sent it flying down towards the Conductor. He blocked the hammer with his swords, but did so with much difficulty. Struggling to control the magical hammer she had created, Raven whispered, "Curiosity and Imagination… Curiosity and Imagination…"

Raphael took the opportunity and ran to Seymour's side, catching him off guard and firing arrows at him at the speed of lightning. Distracted by the arrows, Seymour lost control of his swords and was crushed by the hammer. As Raven's hammer disappeared, Seymour quickly recuperated but was attacked by a large falcon, which then morphed into a bear and grabbed his arms. Sanae then fired a bolt of lightning at Seymour's chest, but the latter ducked and the lightning instead struck Beast Boy.

Eluding the changeling's grasp, Seymour grabbed one of his swords with his hand and commanded the other twelve to fight Beast Boy, Raphael, and Sanae. Taking his sword and using his powers to make it grow larger, Seymour ran towards Raven and slashed it at her. Raven carefully dodged the sword and quickly counterattacked, launching an orb of darkness at his face. The two fought for some time, dodging and blocking each other's attacks and trying to land a hit on each other. Normally, Raven could have easily dominated over Seymour as she was a Lady and he was only a Professor. However, both of their powers had been heightened—Seymour from his powers as a Conductor and Raven from her pendant. Raven was, of course, much more powerful than Seymour with her pendant, but she had not yet mastered her full potential. Now, the two were about even in power. Neither seemed to be winning the fight.

"It's over!" Seymour cried as he swung his sword at Raven, which she caught between the palms of her hands. Struggling with all her might to keep the sword away from her, she focused all the power she could muster, focused on all her Curiosity and Imagination, and focused on Azarath and all the lives that have been lost because of the Taboo, and said to him, "You're right, it is over. I'm ending this now!" As the pendant on her chest started to shake, surging with power, and her eyes glowed a powerful white, Raven cried with all her might, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

A large breaking sound was heard as all thirteen swords shattered into fragments of broken glass. Dark shadows rapidly rose from the ground and wrapped itself around Seymour's body, trapping him. "It's over now," Raven said to him. Seymour's eyes widened and he gasped loudly, then let out a long, cold sigh as he fell unconscious.

"It's done," Sanae said, pulling out a crossfire. "Let's kill him now." As he fired the crossfire, a magical arrow flew out and headed straight for Seymour's neck, but was stopped in midair inches away from Seymour's body. "What?" Sanae said in surprise. The arrow suddenly turned around and flew straight back at him, piercing his body straight through the chest. "Gah!" he cried out.

As Raven lowered her hand, Sanae cried out to her, "Why did you do that?"

"Raven?" Raphael said to her. "What are you doing?"

"I know now," Raven said, slowly walking towards Sanae as he pulled the arrow out of his chest. "I had my doubts but I know now. I had my suspicions when you always seemed to know a little bit more than you tell. I had my suspicions when you seemed to always stay in the shadows, dark and mysterious. I had my suspicions when you always acted strangely. I had my suspicions about you all along, Sanae."

"Raven?" Beast Boy and Raphael said.

"What—" Sanae said, panting and clutching his chest. "What are you talking about?"

"But I knew for sure after our last battle with the Taboo," Raven continued. "Beast Boy, Raphael, Seymour's not the Conductor. I discovered that last time." The two men were taken aback by this. "I overheard a conversation between the Taboo last time. Seymour's not the Conductor—he's just a puppet used by the real Conductor so we'd never suspect him. Seymour was just there to mess with our heads. The _real_ Conductor… is someone else."

Now standing before Sanae, she said to him, "When I found this out, I kept my mouth shut. I didn't tell anybody that Seymour wasn't the Conductor. But Sanae, _you_ knew I overheard the conversation between the Taboo. I told you I overheard their conversation and you assumed I had already told the others that Seymour wasn't the Conductor. That's why you told me, 'Whoever the real Conductor is, we'll find him.' You said that because you had thought I already told the others. But I didn't. So how would you have known that Seymour wasn't the real Conductor? If no one but I knew, how then would you know that Seymour was not the Conductor? You couldn't have possibly known, unless…" Raven paused, staring deep into Sanae's dark, unshaking eyes, "unless YOU, Sanae, are the Conductor."

Utter silence. Sanae Kang slowly stood up from his crouched position and stared at Raven intently. He suddenly pointed his fingers at Beast Boy and Raphael, and the two men were immediately bound by an unseen force.

"What is… this?" Beast Boy cried out.

"Can't… move…" Raphael said.

Turning his attention back towards Raven, Sanae's usually stoic frown slowly broke into an amused grin. "You're smarter than I'd anticipated, Raven."

"There's a lot more to me that you don't know," she said between gritted teeth.

"Likewise," he said softly, but menacingly. "It's too bad we won't get to know each other a bit more. I'm afraid your life ends here, dear, dear Raven. Via Purifico is nearly complete and your life is about to end. All the pieces of my plan are falling into place." As he said these words, Sanae pulled out a scroll.

Raven gasped. "That—That's the Forbidden Scroll! The 7 most powerful spells in existence! How—how do you have that?"

Sanae smiled wickedly and explained, "It's a rather long story. But I suppose you do have the right to know before you die. Have you ever traveled in time before, Raven? Whenever you go back in time and change the past, the future splits into two realities, two distinct timelines you see. They exist parallel with each other and are not meant to be crossed over. There exists another timeline, one in which you, Raven, had died, erased from existence by the Void. In that timeline, Azarath was dying and its last few survivors—that is, Raphael, a few Fathers and Ladies, and me—managed to uncover the Forbidden Scroll and used the Time Travel spell to go back in time and save your life. We were successful and this timeline was formed, one in which you were alive. My counterpart from the other timeline, knowing I was in need of the scroll to use in Via Purifico, then used the Forbidden Scroll to cross over into this timeline and give me the scroll. Do you see now? I had essentially saved your life. But Death can never be cheated, as they say, and I'm afraid I have to send you into Death's grasp once again."

**[Note to readers: If you are confused by all this "Timeline" thing, feel free to message me and I'll explain it to you more fully. It's not too important to the story, though, just explains a small plot hole.]**

"You…" Raven glared at him. "What do you intend with all this? Why did you invade Azarath, your own home? Why did you slaughter everyone who had lived here? What are you trying to do? What is your Via Purifico?"

Sanae closed his eyes contemplatively and whispered, "Via Purifico… All this… it's all for the best. Trust me when I say that, Raven."

"Liar!" she cried. "You're a monster and a murderer! I don't care what you're doing, but I won't let you do it! I swear to you I'll stop you at all costs!"

Sanae opened his eyes and rested them on Raven's face, staring at her intently as if he were piercing through her soul. "And I swear to you, I'll stop you at all costs." With this, he lifted his right hand and an orb of darkness was conjured. "Do you see this?" he said to her. "This is a fragment of your energy, your power, in my hands. Don't you see? For the past few months I've been draining your power, slowly but surely. It is your power that will be used in Via Purifico, Raven. And now I finally have enough. I won't be much longer until Via Purifico… But now that I have enough of your energy, your usefulness has expired. I'm afraid you're going to die now, Raven, killed by the very force that rests within you, destroyed by your very own power!"

With this, Sanae pointed his palm at Raven and let out a massive cackle as the orb of darkness got bigger and bigger and suddenly flew from his hands and propelled straight towards Raven.

"No!" Beast Boy cried as the orb exploded as it hit Raven. "Raven!"

"Raven!" Raphael cried.

As the dust and smoke disappeared, Sanae's smile turned into a frown as he saw Raven standing there, fully intact and still alive. "How?" he cried.

Raven opened her eyes and was also surprised to find she was still alive. "What… what happened?" she gasped.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted within the Throne Room for a brief second, causing Sanae to suddenly cry out in pain. "Gah!" he shrieked. "What is this magic?"

Another flash of blinding light. "You?" Sanae cried out to an unseen force. "Not you! But—but why?"

Yet another flash of bright light, causing Sanae to clutch his chest in pain. "No, stop! Stop!"

Light flashed again, making Sanae scream in pain. The Conductor then looked at Raven straight in the eye and said to her in a half-fearful, half-menacing voice, "We shall meet again, Raven. Mark my words: this is not the end!" He then fled, disappearing in a gust of smoke and flying away.

One final flash of light caused Raven to cry out and fall to the ground. "Raven!" Beast Boy called as he rushed towards her. Examining her, he found that she was unconscious but still alive. "She's alive," he said to Raphael.

"Wait," Raphael said, pointing towards her right hand. "What's that in her hand over there? She wasn't holding that before."

Glancing over at Raven's right hand, Beast Boy opened it to find a crumpled up piece of paper. Underneath the paper, however, was a bright red scar on her palm. But the scar wasn't a normal one—it was the image of numbers. And it was moving. "What kind of scar is this?" Beast Boy thought aloud.

"It's not a scar," Raphael replied. "It's some sort of magical timer. And it's counting down, too."

"Yeah," Beast Boy said. "55:6:23:59:38. Wonder what that means?"

Studying the timer carefully, Raphael noted, "Maybe it means weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. If that's the case, the timer is counting down from 56 weeks."

"Thirteen months from now," Beast Boy finished. "What does all that mean?"

"I don't know," he said. Pointing at the crumpled paper, Raphael said, "Open the note. What does it say?"

Beast Boy took the crumpled paper from Raven's hand and opened it. With a shaking voice, he read the mysterious note left behind by their savior:

"Thank me later.

—The Composer"

~Memories in my Heart~


	20. Conclusion x True Love

**Okay guys, I'll say right now that I honestly tried my best to finish the story now. But somehow, I found I just couldn't wrap up everything I had planned in one story. So yeah, that's right... There's going to be yet ANOTHER sequel. I know, I know... I really hope I'm not dragging it out more than it has to be. But TRUST me on this, okay? I have the ending of the whole trilogy in mind and BELIEVE me when I say it's going to be a good one. The next sequel probably won't be as long as this one, but it definitely will answer a lot of questions.**

**Thank you, all of my wonderful readers who have been with me since the very beginning. I feel so happy knowing there are people out there who respond so positively to my stories. I consider it a great honor to present to you guys my stories and I really hope you'll stay and read 'til the very end.**

**Please, please, PLEASE leave some reviews. I really would like to know what you guys thought of this story. What parts were good, what were bad? How did you guys feel about the story as a whole? What did you like and what can I improve on? I need these reviews to be a better author! Feel free to ask plenty of questions that you want answered in the final chapter of the 'Heart' trilogy. **

**I'll upload the final FanFic as soon as I can. Until then, thank you all for everything.**

* * *

The President closed his eyes in deep thought, clasping both his hands together and placing them over his mouth. After a brief moment of silence, he slowly let out a long sigh and said, "And you say you cannot remember anything after that?"

"No, sir," Raven replied respectfully. "After that flash of light, I just blacked out. The next thing I knew I was at the Polaris infirmary."

"I see," the President said, once again engaging in silent thought. Raven glanced at Beast Boy, who stood beside her and smiled reassuringly. Looking back at the President, who sat behind his desk inside his heavily guarded office in the top of the Polaris building, Raven took this time to properly examine the man.

Though he was the president of Polaris, he was a very elusive and enigmatic man and Raven had actually never seen him before today. Whenever there was some kind of party or important event at Polaris, the president never showed up himself—usually sending the Vice President to be his representative. Then again, Raven thought, maybe he did show up during the events, but no one had realized it was him because very few had ever seen him before.

The man was somewhat old—somewhere in his fifties—and had dark brown but graying hair and some wrinkles on his aged face to prove it. He was not very tall, barely shorter than Beast Boy, and was fairly thin. He wore a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath and a light blue tie. His eyes were a very dark brown and often looked very tired. But there was something about this man—perhaps that small twinkle in his eyes or the warmth of his smile—that gave him an air or aura of happiness. Though he was aged and wrinkled, he seemed to still have a very youthful spirit inside him.

"And Beast Boy," the President said, opening his eyes and facing the man. "What did you say happened as Raven collapsed?"

"As I rushed over to her," Beast Boy explained, "I noticed two very strange things. One, she had some sort of magical timer on her hand that was counting down from 56 weeks, a little more than a year." Raven extending her hand to show the President the strange numbers, which were still slowly counting down. "Second," he said. "She was holding a small note—one she definitely wasn't holding before. We assume it was left behind by whatever had attacked the Conductor and saved us." With this, he pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the President.

The President examined the note carefully. "Thank me later. –The Composer," he read. And though he read the message very indifferently, Beast Boy—having heightened senses due to his animalistic abilities—sensed that the President's voice trembled very slightly upon reading the word "Composer," though whether this was due to fear or shock or any other emotion, Beast Boy knew nothing of and decided it best to not question him.

"Do you know who he is?" Raven asked.

"No. I'm afraid not," the man said, his eyes still glued onto the message. "Do you, by any chance, have any clues on who this 'Composer' might be?"

"Absolutely none," Beast Boy answered. "But whoever he is, he's on our side then, right? Considering he saved our lives and all."

"Let's not jump too hastily to conclusions," the President said, placing the message down onto his desk. "Just because he had saved you once does not mean he is our ally. For all we know, he might be another foe."

"Right," Raven said. "But then why _did_ he save us? The way the Conductor reacted so fearfully when the Composer attacked him… It was all very strange. He did not seem to be afraid as if he was being attacked by just any enemy of his. It was more like he was cowering in fear—in fear of someone or something much stronger than he."

"That might be right. It is best not to judge the Composer's true character right away, but it is indeed strange. Conductor… Composer… I very much doubt there is no connection between the two."

"Yeah," the changeling thought aloud. "But what is that connection? That's the big question."

"No," the President answered. "What they are in relation to each other should not be too important. It's what they are to _us_ that matters most. The Conductor is our enemy, we know that for sure."

Raven nodded. "He's planning something big, something called Via Purifico."

"The Composer… is he a friend or a foe? That we do not yet know. But we cannot take any chances."

Looking at her hand, Raven said contemplatively, "This timer he left… What could it mean?"

"But now there is someone else we must deal with as well," the President said.

"_Another_ one?" cried Beast Boy.

"Unfortunately. This letter magically appeared on my desk shortly before Raven had woken up." Pulling out a letter, the President handed it to Raven, who opened it and read it aloud.

"This is Seymour…" she read, her voice trembling with shock upon reading the name. "I am myself now and I assure you I will have my revenge. I remember everything during the time I was possessed. When the Conductor put his mind in place of mine, he left traces of his memories in me. I know all that he knows. I know who the Conductor is and I know what he is planning. I know who the Composer is. The Conductor also left traces of his powers in me as well. I have as much power as I did before and I now know how to gain even more power. I will take my revenge on the Conductor. Then I will defeat the Composer and take his power as well. This is a warning for Raven. Should she ever go against me, she _will_ be dealt with."

"Seymour…" Beast Boy said.

"Yes," the President answered. "It seems we now have three people to take care of: Conductor, Composer, and Seymour. The Taboo could return to Azarath at any time. Who knows? They might try to attack Earth next. That is why we must be prepared." Opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out two plastic cards, he handed them to both Raven and Beast Boy and said with a smile, "That is why we need your help. From now on, you two are elite Paragon division Polaris agents. The best of the best, entrusted to the secrets of Polaris."

Raven looked at the card intriguingly—a Polaris ID card with her name and information on it, except it was marked with a gold star and labeled "Paragon Agent."

"Show the Captain your cards and he'll give you two your new uniforms. For the next few weeks, you'll be going through some training courses to get accustomed to the techniques and weapons they use. Of course, that's all nothing to you," he chuckled.

"Wow," Beast Boy gasped. "First class agents… can you believe it?"

"Mr. President," the sorceress said, staring at the word 'Polaris' on her card. Flipping it to the back and staring at the Polaris insignia—a stylized bird in flight with a star in place of a head—she said, "If we're top agents now, then we should know about Polaris, shouldn't we? We should know its secrets shouldn't we?" Now looking up at the President, she continued, "Shouldn't we know now? Can't you give us answers now?"

With a friendly face, the President asked, "What would you like to know?"

Sighing and racking her brain for the first question to ask, she eventually found one that covered most of the others that she had: "What is Polaris, truly? And what connection does it have with the Taboo?"

"Ah…" the President replied. Closing his eyes, he began to explain, "Polaris is a secret government program that deals with interplanetary investigation. That is what it is on the surface. Scrape off the surface just a little, and one would find the truth that it is actually a mercenary program, in which we send our specially trained agents into other worlds and perform any missions asked of us and receiving our pay when the mission is completed. But that, of course, is only the veil of Polaris—the mask that hides what Polaris truly is.

"Polaris in its truest form is an anti-Taboo organization. It is a program whose true purpose is to train young agents vigorously through missions to become strong enough to properly combat the Taboo when necessary. Agents rise up in the system by completing various missions and gaining more experience and strength as they do so. In essence, the various missions that you have received before was merely training. When an agent proves himself extremely capable, he is admitted into the ranks of the Paragon division—that is, true Polaris soldiers.

"I founded Polaris many years ago to act as a force to fight back the Taboo should they ever pose a threat to this world or any others. But to do this, I needed two things: soldiers trained enough to be able to fight the Taboo and money to provide funding for weapons and other resources. To obtain these two and to disguise Polaris' true purpose, I started it as a interplanetary investigation program. The only ones who know of Polaris' true purpose are those in the Paragon division."

"But why?" Raven pressed further. "Why does Polaris exist? Why did we have to be trained to fight the Taboo years before now? How did you know about the Taboo in the first place? And how do they know about you? They fear you and they fear Polaris, and yet this was the first time they've fought Polaris, right? Then how do they know so much about you and what you can do? How did you know so much about them and their strengths and weaknesses? Who are you, Mr. President? How do you know all this?"

Silently, the President took a deep breath and shook his head slowly. "I am sorry, Raven," he said to her. "Truly I am. But these questions cannot be answered now. The answer to those questions, no one in Polaris knows, not even my Vice President, the Captain. The answer to those secrets lie hidden in my past, where I intend to keep them. And the answer to who I am… that lies hidden in my memories, where they'll be locked away from others. But they are of no importance at the moment." Looking straight up at the two and beaming with pride, he said, "The most important thing at hand is to find the Taboo and stop the Conductor's plans. After all this is over, then I will tell you all everything. I promise."

Bowing their heads, both Raven and Beast Boy said simultaneously, "We're ready. You can count on us."

"Do you accept your mission, ready to face all obstacles and even death if necessary?"

"Sir!"

"Are you ready to place your life on the line to save all others?"

"Sir!"

"We are Polaris," the President recited as he stood up. "Our mission is to serve our world with all our might."

"Sir!"

"To right the countless wrongs of our day, we shine this light of true redemption, that this place may become as paradise. What a wonderful world such would be."

As the President uttered these words, Raven felt a sudden rush within her, small yet noticeable, as her heart seemed to suddenly beat faster and her mind felt a strange feeling, just for a second. She ignored this, however, and raised her head as she and Beast Boy both saluted, "Sir!"

"Welcome to the true Polaris," the President said with a gentle smile. "You will be informed of your first training sessions soon. Until then, you are dismissed."

"Sir, yes sir!" the two said as they bowed to him and started out the door.

Just as they reached the door, however, Raven heard him call out to her, "Wait, Raven."

"Yes?" she asked, turning around to face him."

"You—" he said with a strange face. "Your mother… Arella. Is she alright? Is she safe and happy?"

Curiously, Raven nodded. "Yes, sir… but why do you ask?"

"Ah, no reason," he smiled. Raven then left the office. Beast Boy started to walk out soon after her, but was also stopped by the President. "B—Beast Boy?"

Stopping and turning around, the man looked back at the President. "Sir?"

The President walked around his desk and towards Beast Boy, placing his hands on the man's shoulders and examining him peculiarly. "You—you've grown so much…" he said. "Your parents must be proud."

"My parents…" Beast Boy said softly. "I'm afraid it's only my mother, sir. I never knew my father. He died before I was born."

"Did he?" the President said in a strange, yet comforting voice. "I see…" Patting Beast Boy's shoulders, he said with a smile, "Beast Boy… Garfield… Let's just say that… when all of this is over, we'll have much to talk about."

"Yes, sir," he said, trying not to sound too confused. As the President began to walk back to his desk, Beast Boy proceeded out the door, wondering what the man had meant with his cryptic words.

Stepping out of the office and closing the door behind him, Beast Boy saw Raven standing in the middle of the hall with her head down. Walking up to her, he heard her say, "Will it never end?"

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"I've had Paen for eighteen years. Then finally it was gone. But then you had died and disappeared from my life for ten years. Finally you came back. And now… now we have the Taboo to worry about. Don't you see? It's always something isn't it?"

"Raven…"

"It's always something!" she cried. "Why can't my life be normal for once? Why can't for once my life be the same as anyone else's? Other people… they don't have to deal with magical curses! They don't have to deal with deaths of people they love! They don't have to deal with their homeworld being invaded. They don't have to deal with—with Paens or Taboos or Via Purificos or Conductors or Composers or any of those! So why do I have to?"

"Raven."

"It's always going to be me, isn't it?" she continued. "Somehow it's always going to me… Always something. It's as if it was fate."

"Fate…" Beast Boy mused. "Maybe it is fate. Maybe it's like you were chosen to fill this role… As if you were meant to do all this. Like all this was meant to happen and you were the one chosen to put an end to it. Maybe it's fate…"

"Then I'll have to accept my fate won't I? I'll have to… give up having a normal life to live my fate. I'll have to give up my happiness so I can complete whatever I was chosen to do. I'll have to give up all that… won't I?"

"Now wait a sec," he said to her, looking into her eye. "Who says you have to give up anything? Who says you have to be sad?"

"Well I—" she started.

"No, Raven. You've dealt with all those other things before and you can deal with this now. But you know what the difference is? Now, we can deal with it together. See this?" he pulled out his ID card and pulled out Raven's from her pocket, lifting them up together. "We're Polaris agents. We're partners. We're in this together no matter what. Before, I didn't know about Paen and I couldn't help you until the very end. For the last few months, I didn't remember anything and I couldn't make you happy like Beast Boy did. But now it's different. Now I'm here and I'm with you in all this 'til the end. We're in this together, Raven."

Raven couldn't help but smile, even as tears starting falling from her eyes. Beast Boy continued.

"Remember what Soel said? 'Live every moment with all you've got.' Don't think about the past, it's behind us now. Don't worry about the future, it's yet to come. Focus on the now, Raven, the present. I'm here now. You're here now. What else is there to worry about?"

Sniffling softly, Raven answered, "You're right."

"Now, Raven," Beast Boy said, placing both his hands on her cheeks and wiping her tears. "Isn't that good enough? Just for now, is it enough that we're both here together?"

Raven chuckled a little and nodded with a tearful, joyous smile.

"I couldn't say it before, but I'll say it now," he said with a smile as bright as the sun. "I love you."

"Beast Boy…" she whispered softly as tears of happiness strolled down her cheeks. "I love you, too." Feeling her heart burn with love and her tears stream down her face—for the first time in her life because of happiness instead of sadness—she whispered again, "I love you so much, Beast Boy!"

Feeling his eyes start to sting from overflowing tears, he smiled broadly and said to her, "This is why we're alive, Raven. We live to find our light, our happiness, our love. That's what being human is all about." Bringing her lips closer to his, he whispered, "I think you've worried enough about the bad… so why don't we focus on the good for a change?"

Bringing her lips to his, they shared a deep, passionate kiss. And as their lips touched, their souls became one, and Raven felt as if she were being cleansed by a heavenly shower of light. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was finally bathed in the light, finally free from the shadows that tormented her past. From Paen to Beast Boy's 'death', she had been in the shadows, her heart full of sadness and sorrow. But now, for the first time in her life, she was truly free. As Beast Boy kissed her, lovingly, caressingly, she finally felt the warmth of the light, the warmth of true love. She didn't know how long she would be able to feel this warmth. She didn't know what the future had in store for her. But regardless of all that, the future didn't scare her at all because it was the present that mattered most. Live for today, she knew. And as they kissed, Raven knew that in the end, everything was going to be okay. In the end, all would be good.

"Beast Boy," she thought to herself. "You'll always be in my heart. These memories in my heart, I'll truly cherish forever. No matter what happens from now on, I swear I'll protect you and all those I love. I won't let anything come between us again. I promise you that. Now and forever…

"I love you."

~Memories in my Heart~


End file.
